Chris Waters: India at fault as ‘cricket’s great spirit’ is betrayed by Bell fiasco

The controversial run-out of England’s Ian Bell during the Trent Bridge Test against India – subsequently overturned – prompted a veritable deluge of discussion and debate.

For the benefit of anyone who has spent the last few days holidaying on Mars, it happened like this ...

From the last ball before tea on day three, Bell’s partner at the crease, Eoin Morgan, turned a ball from Ishant Sharma towards the leg-side boundary.

Praveen Kumar made a scrambling stop but was clearly under the impression he had not prevented the ball crossing the rope.

Kumar somewhat forlornly returned the ball to wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, who threw it to Abhinav Mukund, the short-leg fielder.

Mukund broke the wicket, by which time Bell and Morgan – believing the ball had gone for four and that the session had concluded – were walking back to the pavilion for a cup of tea.

In the ensuing furore, television replays confirmed the ball had not gone for four and that Bell, technically, had been run-out.

Cue a storm of protest as Bell departed in a state of high dudgeon, the crowd loudly booing the Indian fielders.

During the tea break, England coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss complained to their Indian counterparts, Duncan Fletcher and Dhoni, that the incident simply wasn’t cricket.

The Indians had a meeting and decided to reinstate Bell, and were this time loudly cheered by the crowd when the Warwickshire batsman returned after the tea break to resume his innings.

No sooner had the Indians performed their U-turn than they were being widely acclaimed by the international cricketing community.

Haroon Lorgat, International Cricket Council chief executive, praised India, the England team and the match officials for the way they upheld “the great spirit of the great sport of cricket.”

In a statement, Lorgat added: “To see players and officials uphold the Great Spirit of cricket, which has underpinned the game for more than a century, is very special. I am indeed grateful for the way that the teams and match officials handled what was clearly a difficult situation and their behaviour reflects well on everyone.”

David Collier, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive, was equally complimentary.

“The withdrawal of a valid appeal at the tea interval was made in the spirit of cricket by the India team and demonstrates the true spirit in which the game of cricket should be played and the excellent relationship between the ECB and BCCI,” he said.

“The 2nd npower Test Match will also now be remembered for demonstrating that the spirit and the manner in which the game is played provides a role model for others to follow. On behalf of the ECB I wish to express (our) grateful thanks to the BCCI and the India team.”

But hang on a minute.

Are we really to believe this was one of the great acts of sportsmanship of our time?

In my opinion, the Indians were guilty of gross unsportsmanship in the first place by allowing Bell’s dismissal to stand.

Although one could excuse them for appealing in the heat of the moment, they should have withdrawn that appeal immediately when it was so obviously clear there had been a misunderstanding.

The matter should have been sorted out on the field within seconds. It should not have taken Flower and Strauss to go cap in hand to the Indian management to ensure “the Great Spirit of cricket” prevailed.