The 4th Day scorecard at Trent Bridge reads Ian Bell c Laxman b Yuvraj Singh 158 but this didn't tell the most controversial story of the Test Match. The England number three had crafted an excellent century before Eoin Morgan flicked the last ball before tea from Ishant Sharma into the gap at deep square leg. Praveen managed to stoop to stop the ball short of the boundary before somersaulting over the 'rope'. The ball rolled along the outfield but failed to touch the advertising.
Things then get a bit hazy but, presumably believing a four had been signalled, Ian Bell set off for the pavilion. However, the ball was returned to the wicket, where Mukund whipped off the stumps as he was entitled to do. The run-out appeal was rightly upheld by umpire Rauf. However, there was clearly confusion, Bell seemed furious and the home crowd booed in disgust. Nevertheless, both India and the umpires had acted within the laws of the game.
Fortunately there remains some integrity within international cricket and, following a professional visit to the visitors' dressing room by Strauss and Andy Flower, captain Dhoni officially withdrew their appeal and Bell was reinstated after the interval. He added only 21 more runs before giving a soft slip catch which offered no need even for the bowling side to appeal. Something similar happened in an England-West Indies Test in 1973-4, when Tony Greig ran Alvin Kallicharran out. Then, the appeal was only withdrawn after umpires intervened in the face of crowd unrest. Six years later, India's Gundappa Vishwanath showed what sportsmanship is all about, when he called Bob Taylor back after being given out as caught by the umpires. England went on to win but full respect to 'Vishy'.
Anyway, back to 2011. Should India be vilified for appealing in the first place? In my opinion, no. India played by the rules. After all, the ball came in and they did their job. After all, why on earth did Bell walk off the pitch? He may have done so in the mistaken belief the boundary had been signalled but that's not India's fault. Justice was done over the tea interval when Dhoni reprieved the unfortunate batsman, which was within the captain's gift but by no means a decision he HAD to make.
Some commentators are slagging off the Indian team for getting Bell given out in the first place, the usual 'English fair play vs foreign cheats' nonsense. However, England don't have a great record in this respect so there's no mileage in that tabloid tack. I say let's give credit where credit's due. It's an unusual situation in a Test match but it had the correct outcome, with only Ian Bell perhaps emerging with, at worst, a red face! We shouldn't slam Dhoni, Mukund or the umpires. Nobody cheated. Cricket has emerged with dignity intact. However, the same probably won't apply in the match situation to India as they face a second successive defeat...
