Indian team heads to Bondi beach

India's cricketers played volleyball with Bondi Beach lifeguards on Tuesday, injecting some calm into the delicate situation that has developed over Harbhajan Singh's three-match ban on a racism charge.

Harbhajan was suspended for three test matches for allegedly calling Australian fielder Andrew Symonds a monkey on day three of a controversial second test in Sydney.

The Indian cricket board condemned the penalty imposed by match referee Mike Procter and announced it would cease ``operations'' on the Australia tour pending Harbhajan's appeal.

What was initially reported as a thinly veiled threat from India to withdraw from the remaining two test matches and a limited-overs series, was tempered Tuesday by team management.

``There's no thinking as of now of doing anything drastic towards the tour,'' India's media manager Dr. M.V. Sridhar said. ``We're awaiting instructions from the BCCI and we're hoping they will communicate something to us today and as soon as we receive the instructions we will react accordingly.

``We hope we're going to appeal today and we're waiting for that.''

Sridhar said Harbhajan, who was given 24 hours to appeal after the sanction was announced early Monday in Dubai by the ICC, did not make any racial comments toward Symonds _ who has Caribbean heritage and is the only black player on the Australian team.

``We're very clear that Harbhajan has not said that,'' Sridhar said as the Indian team did some light exercise and had lunch at Sydney's iconic Bondi beach. ``We feel there's not much evidence to say he said that either.''

When asked by waiting media weather he was confident of winning his appeal, Harbhajan nodded his head and said ``yes'' before boarding the team bus for Bondi.

Symonds was voted player of the match in Australia's 122-run win that gave Australia a world record 16th consecutive test victories, but was involved in three controversies.

On day one, he was given not out on 30 despite later admitting he nicked the ball to the wicketkeeper and went on to post a career-high 162 not out.

On the last day, he appealed for a caught behind decision against Rahul Dravid and the same umpire, Steve Bucknor, stunningly gave the Indian opener out in a decisive stage of the match.

The racism allegation stems from a confrontation between Symonds and Harbhajan while the Indians were batting on day three. Symonds had earlier complained of being racially taunted by fans in India during Australia's tour there last October.

India had been due to leave for Canberra on Monday but, after the bulk of the players spent two hours in a bus parked outside the team's Sydney hotel, was instructed by the BCCI not to leave.

The two-day match is due to start Thursday in the Australian capital and, despite the impasse, local authorities say they have not been told to stop planning to host the match.

The next test match is in Perth beginning Jan. 16.

The BCCI has formally complained about the level of umpiring in the Sydney test match, when at least five bad calls went against the tourists, and the International Cricket Council is meeting to discuss the situation.

Sridhar said the Indian cricket board thought it unfair of Procter to take the word of three Australians over the word of Harbhajan and his teammate Sachin Tendulkar when there appeared to be no other evidence.

He said the racism allegation was the ``final nail'' that caused the angry reaction from India.

Courtesy:thehindu.com
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