Comment

Elmo Rodrigopulle

Six of the best for Harbhajan

Before going on to comment on the incidents that took place during the Second Test especially on the final day, between Australia and India at the SCG, I would like to line up Harbhajan Singh and give him six of the best.

That is because Singh had allegedly made racist remarks at Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds calling him 'monkey' during an on field spat between the two. Disgraceful is the best way to describe Harbhajan's behaviour.

Charges were laid out by umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson after Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting had accused Singh of making a 'monkey' comment at Symonds.

Now there are the critics who would say that on field incidents must be kept there and not brought out into the open. While that could be argued, the fact remains that racist remarks have no place not only in sport, but even otherwise.

Quite rightly after an inquiry match referee Mike Procter found Singh guilty of infringing 3.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct which refers to players or team officials using language or gestures that offends, insults, humilates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or villifies another person on the basis of that persons's race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin.

In accordance to the Code of Conduct the maximum penalty that could have been imposed for this offence was a ban of four Tests or eight one-day Internationals.

Procter the former South African allournder slapped a Three Test ban on the Turbanator.

Harbhajan has been long enough in the game to know that, that style of behaviour has no place in society. Not only has he disgraced himself, above all he has brought shame on the game that teaches one so much.

Procter would not have been faulted had he forced Harbhajan not only make a personal apology to Symonds, but to the public at large.

One hopes that Harbhajan would learn. Symonds is no angel. He is a smiling teaser and tormentor and a master provoker. But that Harbhajan fell for the bait is what is wrong.

India the victor

True India lost a Test match that they should not have. It is said that one should be humble in victory and determined in defeat. But the Indians turned the saying the other way round and proved humble in defeat.

Although they lost, they won the hearts of all with their exemplary behaviour and they underlined the fact that it is not the winning or losing that matters, but how one played the game. And that they did to the best of their ability and it was an example to all.

The Indians who suffered most by some ordinary umpiring by Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson took the defeat with a smile, that showed great character.

Had the umpiring decisions not gone against Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly when India were defending, they could well have saved the game and deprived the Aussies of winning and aiming of breaking Steve Waugh's teams' record which is 16 wins in a row.

But those are the vicissitudes of the wonderful game of cricket.

The poor umpiring decisions were disgraceful and unacceptable.

Like skipper Anil Kumble said it was there for all to see and he did right by not commenting on the decisions. Had Bucknor not erred when Symonds touched a ball to the wicket keeper Dhoni when on 30, the Indians could well have stood on the victory podium at the end of the game.

Awesome Aussies

In my column last week, I mentioned and described how and what makes the Aussies and awesome side. And in coming from behind and defeating the Indians in a nail biting final moments, they justified their tag as AWESOME.

The Aussies were led on the first innings. Any other team would have been down. But not Aussies. They hit back strongly to finally have the Indians on the ropes and for part time spinner Michael Clarke to deliver the knockout blow.

Commentators class

A big bouquet to Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Harsha Bhogle for the wonderful, fearless and exemplary commentating for 'Star Cricket' the incidents that took place on the final day.

By their forceful comments they have scored not only for themselves but for 'Star Cricket' and it is hoped that other commentators would learn from them and be forthright in their comments.

Not only do they comment fearlessly, but their description of the happenings in the middle has class written all over. On the Ganguly dismissal, Gavaskar gave umpire Benson and Ponting a bellyful. It was a class act by the former prolific scorer and captain of India. In calling Kumble a true ambassador for India, which he did repeat, he was spot on. Well done.

Chappel red in the face

When champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar was making a masterly century it sure would have made former stormy petrel and skipper of Australia and now a TV Commentator Ian Chappell red in the face and hiding it.

When brother Greg was making a mess of Indian cricket, Ian asked for Tendulkar to retire, before some one else does it for him. Tendulkar would certainly have shut the gab of Ian by allowing his bat to do the taling.

Also Greg would have felt the pinch when Ganguly kept hammering twin fifties. Greg dumped Ganguly and must now be repenting and feeling like a cat on a hot tin roof. For once the Chappell brothers fell from grace.