He was stupid in walking out of the pitch and the umpire gave him out. Should be the end of it.
The only reason anyone has said he shouldn't have been walking off is because, to the letter of the law, the Indians decided the ball wasn't dead. This is akin to booking a footballer who picks the ball up before the ref's whistle believing he should have a free-kick.
I clearly remember Sidebottom tackling Grant Elliot or some Kiwi batsman to the ground when he was running and they run him out. They didn't recall Elliot. Spirit of the game doesn't come into the picture then. I think this is on YT somewhere.
All I am saying is that they would not have done the same if the tables were turned. But whatever, good on dhoni for doing the 'right' thing. Maybe he can go to Bell's tea party after the match.
The Elliott run out I believe was under Michael Yawn who was alongside Atherton in terms of schoolboy nature. Who said it wasn't against the spirit of the game, just typical on here of the schoolboy nature of the members to dig out excuses of other instances to justify their own offences...........
- two wrongs don't make a/you right
As for your assertion that England wouldn't have done the same, well they probably wouldn't have run him out in the first place and they did recall a batsman in a Champions Trophy match as Strauss was trying to make up for the Elliott incident - or so I've heard.
This game has an unreal feel to it now, 254/3 when India broke the unwritten rules, and when the recall was FINALLY made the game has fallen apart from a fantastic position with BOTH SIDES in it. 187 ahead, seven wickets in hand and two injured batsmen was a fascinating position.
Those praising Dhoni are being "over generous", the Indians broke the wicket and even then it was clear something wasn't right. The umpires asked if the Indians wished to appeal, they had every chance then to say "no" and walk off for tea. I understand from Dravid that they discussed it in the dressing room before England (wrongly in my opinion) approached them to appeal for sense/bell to be restored, and from Bell I understand they made the decision as late as was possible before it became impossible. So the Indians had what, 25-30 minutes to right the wrong and to me that isn't worthy of high praise. Even Dravid conceded it didn't feel right.
England, well Strauss and Flower, probably deserve as much praise if not more because they have probably salvaged as much as they can for the Indians. The booing may continue, it would have been ridiculous had they not reinstated Bell. It may have got to the stage where fielders on the boundary would have not felt safe or been deemed not safe, anyone thinking what the Indians did was "right" should carry a copy of the laws with them to the stocks to be pelted with rotton fruit.
I heard something yesterday I'd not heard for a long time, some sense, and it was from Sunil Gavaskar. He said the phrase "it just isn't cricket" and said that has lost a lot of its meaning. In an age of "win at all costs" he is right, one of the few Indians it seems to understand the concept of "right". I'll cite literal law here, is assisted suicide legal or right? One to ponder....................
It's sad that these incidents happen, the Pakistan Oval incident, run outs, dissent over decisions, batsmen not walking etc. Do the laws state you have to be given out to be out or simply that an edge that is caught is out? Nasser Hussain was out twice against Sri Lanka but didn't walk, he wasn't given so he made a hundred. I'm sure plenty will say it is the umpires' fault for not giving it, the aussies hid behind that facade, but that isn't in the spirit of the game. You know you're out, walk. Credit to those batsmen who do it, shame on those who don't.
This game is now pointless in my book, it is like playing a (football) game/simulation, you save at a certain point and a few games later the PC/console crashes. If you load the saved game you go back and it doesn't feel the same. You might now go through in the cup, or lose a game you won or vice versa and if suddenly you do better than you had been
it just doesn't feel right. All that because the Indians, despite being asked if they wished to appeal, took a lot longer to make the right decision than they should have.
From here England could well win the game, will be a hollow victory now when it shouldn't have been. 254/4 at tea, resuming at 254/3 England whacked nearly 200 runs for 2/3 further wickets with Bell only adding 22 runs to his out/not out score at tea. Some commentators detected a demoralised India, I'm not surprised and I suspect England were fired up by the whole thing. 374 runs in front already, England may edge a way past 400 and India will probably have to bat 4.5-5 sessions. England made one bad error in my book, sending Trott out when they did. Two overs before the new ball I would have not sent him out, he lasted two balls of the new ball, he looked dejected when given out and I don't blame him. Prior and Bresnan have taken the weary Indian attack apart.
If the cricinfo wagon wheel is to be believed, and showing third man as left and right hand, 101 runs have gone down there. Ian Bell alone scoring 54 runs down there, sounds about right from what Yawn had said (over 1/3 when he had not long passed 100) All the Indian quicker bowlers have had 27-31 runs scored off them down to third man.
I'd say it is going to be an interesting finale, I think the interest has been purely academic since tea.
----------
As for declarations, I see that there's potentially some rain coming in for late day 5, so if I were England I wouldn't go over the top with the lead - they should be trying to get to 2-0 here. All going well I'd declare when Prior gets 100 and England should be around 450 in front by then. If that's not enough, they don't deserve to win.
I think England may be bowled out this morning with a relative whimper. They might add a few, but 187 runs in the final session may be the peak of their innings. I may be wrong, the game has been a bit funny with regards turning on its head, just when you think it is going one way it swings the opposite way.
