The bottom line is the only way to avoid an absolute fiasco is if india accepts the charge and moves on...just as every other team would or has in the past. Do you think the aussies, particularly the fans, enjoy being labelled racist based on evidence way less conculsive than what has been levelled at Harbajhan? It's garbage, but I think there is little doubt in this case and it is something you should accept and the best way to acceot it and make an example of him...which for some reason appears to be too difficult on the technicality that there isn't any audio evidence. Do you really think the players would make this stuff up? Get a life. At the stage of the match the best outcome for india was a draw....and as far as I know, reporting someone to an umpire doesn't automatically get you 10 wickets in 2 sessions.
I have no doubt Symonds took no offence to the word monkey because we are bred with thicker skins, but there is a bigger picture here - it was obviously used as a racial slur after what happened in india and whilst australians take sledging on the chin and is part of our sense of humour, we need to stand up for ourselves against people who constantly paint us as bad people - if you generalise us with constant BS, even though we don't take it personally, if you give us a chance to make you appear as hypocrits, you must realise that this is more satisying than sledging your wife/mother/whatever......and believe me it is satisfying. Sure there were disgusting umpire decisons, no one is saying otherwise...but that is cricket...there were also bad decisions for the aussies...and saying which decision cost the most is fairly impossible. But what makes india bigger than the game? Money you might say...but aren't we here to make runs and take wickets? Christ, maybe it is you who need to invest some of that money into graphite bats.
What india needs to do is concentrate on the next test match - get rid of Jaffer, probably even Yuvray - put in Sehwag and Ganbuir at the top order, who look good against australia...plug Dravid back at number 3 and hope to win the toss.perhaps then you can win some respect back from the cricket community. Putting yourselves onto a pedistal is something the aussies have never done...in your heads maybe...but I live here and my tax dollars have never bought them a ferrari...have never bought them a champagn trip down perth's main streets....have never actually prevented our media or fans from critising our weaknesses.....maybe you can learn a few things whilst your here...whether it's in the west aussie paper or in whatever paper you get on the flight home...you have a lot to learn. And oh my god...burning effigies in the streets is quite frankly disgusting.
