Bizarre!!!

It's around 2.30 AM in India. I am up watching the 4th days play of 1st Cricket test between India and West Indies, and quiet pleased with the way India are conducting itself - for the first time during the entire tour so far.

151st over of India's second innings in being bowled. Mohammed is the bowler, and Kaif is facing him. First ball, Kaif tucks the ball to take a comfortable single. This brings Dhoni on strike now. Dhoni has already completed his half century in just 47 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes. He is in devastating mood, and he sends next three balls of Mohammed out of the ropes for massive sixes. Bryan Lara has a look on his face, which is worried but is also acknowledging the sheer power and brilliance of Dhoni's game. Mohammed delivers his next ball, and Dhoni sends even this one packing out of the grounds… but wait the ball just makes it to the ropes and there is Ganga waiting for the ball. He catches the ball cleanly but no one's sure if he touched the rope while doing so. Umpires go to third umpire, and third umpire says he cant help as the replays are inconclusive. The decision needs to be made by the ground umpires. The ground umpires talk to the fielder, the fielding captain and consults third umpire. They just fall short of discussing with the viewers in the ground, and probably conducting a snap SMS poll on the TV.  After ages of discussions ground umpires finally decide to give benefit of doubt to the batsman.

But wait - drama is not over yet. Even as the field umpires indicate Dhoni to continue, Lara who is quiet agitated by this time, walks up to the umpires to protest and asks them to take word of the fielder. More surprise! Umpires who have already taken a decision, easily get influenced and decide to discuss again, with third umpire and with the batsman. (oh! why don't they discuss with viewers, silly!) They are not taking a frikkin decision but trying to reach a compromise… In a while Lara reaches out to the Indian batsmen and perhaps asks them to take fielders' word. It's a stupid drama being played out there, instead of decisions being made, people are trying to persuade one of the parties to give in.
Dravid, who has been watching all the drama from pavillion, and is visibly upset with this, decides to decalre the innings. In a while it also becomes known that Dhoni finally agreed to the pleas of umpires and Lara, and gave his consent for being declared out.

Ha!

Even after the days' play is over, and it's 3.30 am in India, I am not asleep. Today’s  unprecedented event has enlightened me, and shown me the path on which Cricket should go. Two initial thoughts that come to my mind are:

1) Going forward, we should have voting on the field - decisions should be taken in a purely democratic manner.

2) Captains should be given 5 minutes of extra time, every time there is an appeal, to try and influence/persuade the umpires and/or the players of opposing team so as to reach a mutually acceptable decision.

Think about these, Cricket is after all a gentlemen's game.

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Update:

Siddharth at CricInfo gives out the exact details.
Pratyush has video clippings of the incident.
Sakshi mentions how Lara crumbled under Dhoni's pressure.
worma @ Cricket 24×7 is pondering between the official and unofficial aspects of the drama.
Tags: | cricket | test cricket | indian cricket |