Sporting India gain praise for withdrawal of appeal

Haroon Lorgat, chief executive of the International Cricket Council, also praised the England team and the match officials involved in the controversial decision at Trent Bridge.

Bell was given out after the last ball before tea, a decision the ECB have admitted was “valid”.

The England batsman had assumed his batting colleague Eoin Morgan had hit a four and began walking off the pitch.

But the fielder had stopped the boundary, threw the ball back to the stumps, the bails were taken off and the India team appealed.

The on-field umpires asked for the third official to review the incident and Bell was given out.

However, following discussions between the two teams at tea, Bell returned to action after the break. He was eventually out for 159.

Lorgat said: “Absolute credit must go to Team India, the England team and the match officials – Ranjan Madugalle, Asad Rauf and Marais Erasmus as well as the off-field umpires Billy Bowden and Tim Robinson – for the superb way that they all handled a tricky situation.

“While the initial appeal and umpire decision may have been acceptable to the letter of the law, the decision by India captain MS Dhoni and his team – as well as the Team India coaching staff – to withdraw the appeal shows great maturity.

“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.”

ECB chief executive David Collier added: “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 (Board of Cricket Control for India) BCCI.

“The npower Test Match Series has produced excellent and exciting cricket.

“The second Test 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 the England and Wales Cricket Board’s grateful thanks the BCCI and the India team.”

India batsman Rahul Dravid said: “The guys knew that if you took the letter of the law, Bell was out, but when we went back in there was not a nice feeling, there was already some discussion that probably it was not right.

“When Flower and Strauss came to discuss it with Duncan Fletcher and MS Dhoni, there was already a discussion that it was not in the spirit of the game.

“The team met and there was unanimity that we should reinstate Ian Bell.

“Dhoni led it beautifully, he didn’t want people walking out not sure of the decision but everyone was behind it and realised there was a bitter feeling in the stomach.”