Harbhajan in the frame again with India only one win from series triumph
India is only a match away from completing a limited-overs series win over World Cup champion Australia and Harbhajan Singh, for one, desperately wants it over ASAP.
Harbhajan's two vital breakthroughs in India's six-wicket win at Sydney on Sunday to start the best-of-three finals series were overshadowed by another chapter in a long racism row.
Australian media reported Monday that Harbhajan directed monkey gestures at the Sydney crowd.
Harbhajan was given a three-test ban for allegedly calling Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds a monkey during the contentious second test match in Sydney in January.
After an appeal by India and threats it would abandon the Australian tour, the racism charge was downgraded to verbal abuse by the International Cricket Council and a fine replaced the original ban. Symonds also was criticized in the review for his attitude on the field.
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Symonds, who has West Indian heritage, was taunted with monkey gestures by crowds during a limited-overs tour to India last year, had reportedly told Harbhajan before this Australian summer that he believed the taunts were racist and offensive.
The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday quoted a spectator saying Harbhajan made the monkey gestures at the crowd soon after he'd dismissed opening batsman Matthew Hayden for 82 on Sunday.
Harbhajan, who had earlier dismissed Symonds for 31, had celebrated Hayden's wicket by shadow boxing with teammate Yuvraj Singh. That was a veiled comeback to comments last week by Hayden, who was reprimanded for calling Harbhajan an "obnoxious weed" and saying in a radio interview that he would not mind facing Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma in the boxing ring.
ICC match referee Jeff Crowe investigated the allegations and cleared the Indian spinner.
"After reviewing all available information, I conclude that there is no need to take any action against Harbhajan Singh," Crowe said.
Australian batsman Mike Hussey said his team was sick of the controversy and wanted only to think about leveling the finals series.
But India team manager Bimal Soni reacted angrily to the latest claims against Harbhajan.
"I think it is wrong," Soni told the Australian Associated Press. "Nothing has been done like that. They are making a mountain out of a mole hill. He did nothing.
"These stories I do not believe them and I strongly condemn them."
Soni said Harbhajan and the rest of the Indians were focusing on the Brisbane match and trying to ignore any more negativity.
"We only talk about the cricket on the field and we do not want to talk anything about these things," he said.
Sachin Tendulkar, who inspired India's Sydney win with 117 — his first limited-overs international century in Australia after 41 in other parts of the world — was expected to play in Brisbane despite an upper leg muscle strain.
"It's extremely good to go one-up in the series, the first blow is what matters," Tendulkar said after the opening win. "We don't have much time before the second final, but we have to get up and put up a good show. We are up for it and we want to continue this winning performance."
With Australia reverting to a regular two-team limited-overs series next year after 29 seasons of three-team tournaments, Ricky Ponting's lineup is desperate to at least force a deciding third match in the finals series.
Australia lost consecutive matches to Sri Lanka and India in three days after topping the qualifying tournament and also lost last year's finals series to England after dominating the entire summer leading into that.
"You would be un-human not to have a little bit of a hit to the confidence when you're not getting the results that you're looking for," Australia coach Tim Nielsen said. "Our challenge at the moment is to keep these (players) in a state of mind that gives them every opportunity."
The Australians also have extra motivation to force a third match, which would give veteran wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and spin bowler Brad Hogg one more home farewell before retiring from international cricket.
Harbhajan's two vital breakthroughs in India's six-wicket win at Sydney on Sunday to start the best-of-three finals series were overshadowed by another chapter in a long racism row.
Australian media reported Monday that Harbhajan directed monkey gestures at the Sydney crowd.
Harbhajan was given a three-test ban for allegedly calling Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds a monkey during the contentious second test match in Sydney in January.
After an appeal by India and threats it would abandon the Australian tour, the racism charge was downgraded to verbal abuse by the International Cricket Council and a fine replaced the original ban. Symonds also was criticized in the review for his attitude on the field.
Today in Sports
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Symonds, who has West Indian heritage, was taunted with monkey gestures by crowds during a limited-overs tour to India last year, had reportedly told Harbhajan before this Australian summer that he believed the taunts were racist and offensive.
The Sydney Morning Herald on Monday quoted a spectator saying Harbhajan made the monkey gestures at the crowd soon after he'd dismissed opening batsman Matthew Hayden for 82 on Sunday.
Harbhajan, who had earlier dismissed Symonds for 31, had celebrated Hayden's wicket by shadow boxing with teammate Yuvraj Singh. That was a veiled comeback to comments last week by Hayden, who was reprimanded for calling Harbhajan an "obnoxious weed" and saying in a radio interview that he would not mind facing Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma in the boxing ring.
ICC match referee Jeff Crowe investigated the allegations and cleared the Indian spinner.
"After reviewing all available information, I conclude that there is no need to take any action against Harbhajan Singh," Crowe said.
Australian batsman Mike Hussey said his team was sick of the controversy and wanted only to think about leveling the finals series.
But India team manager Bimal Soni reacted angrily to the latest claims against Harbhajan.
"I think it is wrong," Soni told the Australian Associated Press. "Nothing has been done like that. They are making a mountain out of a mole hill. He did nothing.
"These stories I do not believe them and I strongly condemn them."
Soni said Harbhajan and the rest of the Indians were focusing on the Brisbane match and trying to ignore any more negativity.
"We only talk about the cricket on the field and we do not want to talk anything about these things," he said.
Sachin Tendulkar, who inspired India's Sydney win with 117 — his first limited-overs international century in Australia after 41 in other parts of the world — was expected to play in Brisbane despite an upper leg muscle strain.
"It's extremely good to go one-up in the series, the first blow is what matters," Tendulkar said after the opening win. "We don't have much time before the second final, but we have to get up and put up a good show. We are up for it and we want to continue this winning performance."
With Australia reverting to a regular two-team limited-overs series next year after 29 seasons of three-team tournaments, Ricky Ponting's lineup is desperate to at least force a deciding third match in the finals series.
Australia lost consecutive matches to Sri Lanka and India in three days after topping the qualifying tournament and also lost last year's finals series to England after dominating the entire summer leading into that.
"You would be un-human not to have a little bit of a hit to the confidence when you're not getting the results that you're looking for," Australia coach Tim Nielsen said. "Our challenge at the moment is to keep these (players) in a state of mind that gives them every opportunity."
The Australians also have extra motivation to force a third match, which would give veteran wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist and spin bowler Brad Hogg one more home farewell before retiring from international cricket.
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