Reg Bell......Water under the bridge..... but for what it's worth i think he ran the fourth. Morgan was asking him to go back. Umpire handed the cap to the bowler after the fiasco, not before. The bails were not removed. Bell ran it, and did not walk. All the facts point towards that. Batsmen often play a lazy shot after a long innings. Bell, similarly, just made a lazy decision, but played it well to get out of jail.
I'm more shocked at Harbhajan Singh's performance this series. It perhaps is time for him to be finally dropped. India were effectively playing with two bowlers in the first Test and Three in the second Test. They should have selected Mishra. Harbhajan faking an injury and chickening out of the hammering he was about to get was the last straw....that coward!
That is the primary reason they haven't been able to land the killer blow. They have had England on the mat in no less than three occasions in this Test and let them escape. With the ball is not so surprising, but letting them escape on Day 2 after they had crossed England's first innings score for the loss of 4 wickets is really galling. Shittty shot selection from Tendulkar and Dhoni to get out too. But i guess you are allowed a bad series in three years. They have played non-stop Cricket in the last 8 months. They could have done with a bit more preparation against a strong contender like England. They got away with it in South Africa, but it seems highly unlikely for them to do the same here.
I'm actually more disappointed with two other things.
1. Calling Laxman a cheat.....it is the pits. Broad asking to check his bat...i have lost what little respect i had for that prick.
Laxman has played the game in it's proper Spirit for nearly 15 years. Umpire didn't think it was out. Hot spot didn't show anything. Stump-mike hasn't picked anything up clearly......i don't see how anyone can be calling Laxman a cheat. India have also had a couple of close caught behind appeals reviewed by hotspot. They haven't turned around and accused people of cheating, have they? Praveen Kumar reacted to umpire not giving the batsman out, but it was a heat of the moment thing and he later accepted guilt and the fine to go with it.
2. All the media rubbish about how India have no right to be number one team. This is the first series they will lose (if they lose) in three years. They have every right. I usually expect that sort of media-posturing from Australia, but i think there have been a few properly cuntish articles in the English mainstream media. Totally uncalled for. It won't be long before the boot is on the other foot when England come to India.
I didn't post my view earlier, because it will only anger a lot of English fans.....but there ya go. It is what it is.
