Harbhajan Singh has been cleared of making racist comments and, as a result, has had his three-match ban rescinded, according to the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI).
Harbhajan had been accused of calling Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds a "monkey" during the second Test in Sydney.
However, after an appeal at the Federal Court in Adelaide the charge was downgraded to one of using abusive language and Harbhajan has been fined 50% of his match fee as a lesser punishment.
VR Manohar, Harbhajan's counsel, said: "BCCI made it clear during the hearing that racism charge was like laying blame on the board and the nation, and should be dropped."
Match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor had brought the charge against Harbhajan under section 3.3 of the ICC code of conduct after receiving a complaint from Australia captain Ricky Ponting on day three of the Sydney Test when the spinner was batting alongside Sachin Tendulkar.
Harbhajan was ushered into the Federal Court on Tuesday morning without making any comment to the media, and was followed in soon after by Tendulkar.
The Australian team members had arrived earlier, while Ponting left the hearing shortly after noon, again without making any comment.
Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young is keen for both sides to put the unsavoury incident behind them and concentrate on the triangular series involving the two teams and Sri Lanka looming on the horizon.
"All parties will move on with the cricket," Young said. "The game is the important thing."
Showing posts with label Andrew Symonds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Andrew Symonds. Show all posts
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Day 3: Advantage Aussies
India will have to do what no other Test team has done before to come from behind and win the first cricket Test after Australia set them a historic run chase at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Australians offered the Indians 499 runs to win with two days left after declaring their second innings at 351 for seven late on the third day.
India safely reached stumps at six without loss, with Rahul Dravid on three and Wasim Jaffer on two.
Only three teams in Test cricket history have scored 400 or more in the fourth innings for victory.
The West Indies hold the Test record of 418 for seven when they beat Australia at St. Johns in 2003, while India amassed 406 for four to down the West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1976 and Australia hit 404 for three to defeat England at Headingley in 1948.
But the drop-in pitch is playing low and cracking, making high scoring problematic in the fourth innings.
"I'd like to say they have no chance, but the reality is they have to get 493 runs and they've got two days to get it so they have plenty of time," Australian batsman Michael Clarke said.
Before lunch India claimed the wickets of first-innings centurion Matthew Hayden and skipper Ricky Ponting, followed by the dismissals of Phil Jaques, Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds in the middle session, with Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist sent on their way after tea.
Opener Jaques picked up his sixth consecutive Test half-century and was out next ball to a return catch by Anil Kumble for 51 shortly after lunch.
Hayden had just passed 8,000 Test runs when he skied finger-spinner Harbhajan off a leading edge to Sourav Ganguly at long-off for 47.
Harbhajan's Test career high point was his 32 wickets at 17.03 in the three-match home series against Australia in 2001.
SCOREBOARD
Australia 1st innings: 343 M. Hayden 124, P. Jaques 66; A. Kumble 5-84,
Zaheer Khan 4-94
India 1st innings: 196 S. Tendulkar 62, S. Ganguly 43; S. Clark 4-28,
B. Lee 4-46
Australia 2nd innings
P. Jaques c and b Kumble 51
M. Hayden c Ganguly b Harbhajan 47
R. Ponting c Dravid b Harbhajan 3
M. Hussey c Tendulkar b Singh 36
M. Clarke st Dhoni b Kumble 73
A. Symonds lbw b Zaheer 44
A. Gilchrist c Singh b Harbhajan 35
B. Hogg not out 35
B. Lee not out 11
Extras lb3, nb13 16
Total for 7 wkts declared 351
Fall of wkts 1-83, 2-89, 3-139, 4-161, 5-243, 6-288, 7-316
Bowling
Zaheer 20-2-93-1 (13nb)
Singh 16-1-50-1
Kumble 25-2-102-2
Harbhajan 26-0-101-3
Tendulkar 1-0-2-0
India 2nd innings
R. Dravid not out 3
W. Jaffer not out 2
Extras nb1 1
Total for no loss 6
Bowling Lee 3-1-4-0 (1nb)
Johnson 2-1-2-0
Clark 2-2-0-0
Hogg 1-1-0-0
The Australians offered the Indians 499 runs to win with two days left after declaring their second innings at 351 for seven late on the third day.
India safely reached stumps at six without loss, with Rahul Dravid on three and Wasim Jaffer on two.
Only three teams in Test cricket history have scored 400 or more in the fourth innings for victory.
The West Indies hold the Test record of 418 for seven when they beat Australia at St. Johns in 2003, while India amassed 406 for four to down the West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1976 and Australia hit 404 for three to defeat England at Headingley in 1948.
But the drop-in pitch is playing low and cracking, making high scoring problematic in the fourth innings.
"I'd like to say they have no chance, but the reality is they have to get 493 runs and they've got two days to get it so they have plenty of time," Australian batsman Michael Clarke said.
Before lunch India claimed the wickets of first-innings centurion Matthew Hayden and skipper Ricky Ponting, followed by the dismissals of Phil Jaques, Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds in the middle session, with Michael Clarke and Adam Gilchrist sent on their way after tea.
Opener Jaques picked up his sixth consecutive Test half-century and was out next ball to a return catch by Anil Kumble for 51 shortly after lunch.
Hayden had just passed 8,000 Test runs when he skied finger-spinner Harbhajan off a leading edge to Sourav Ganguly at long-off for 47.
Harbhajan's Test career high point was his 32 wickets at 17.03 in the three-match home series against Australia in 2001.
SCOREBOARD
Australia 1st innings: 343 M. Hayden 124, P. Jaques 66; A. Kumble 5-84,
Zaheer Khan 4-94
India 1st innings: 196 S. Tendulkar 62, S. Ganguly 43; S. Clark 4-28,
B. Lee 4-46
Australia 2nd innings
P. Jaques c and b Kumble 51
M. Hayden c Ganguly b Harbhajan 47
R. Ponting c Dravid b Harbhajan 3
M. Hussey c Tendulkar b Singh 36
M. Clarke st Dhoni b Kumble 73
A. Symonds lbw b Zaheer 44
A. Gilchrist c Singh b Harbhajan 35
B. Hogg not out 35
B. Lee not out 11
Extras lb3, nb13 16
Total for 7 wkts declared 351
Fall of wkts 1-83, 2-89, 3-139, 4-161, 5-243, 6-288, 7-316
Bowling
Zaheer 20-2-93-1 (13nb)
Singh 16-1-50-1
Kumble 25-2-102-2
Harbhajan 26-0-101-3
Tendulkar 1-0-2-0
India 2nd innings
R. Dravid not out 3
W. Jaffer not out 2
Extras nb1 1
Total for no loss 6
Bowling Lee 3-1-4-0 (1nb)
Johnson 2-1-2-0
Clark 2-2-0-0
Hogg 1-1-0-0
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Australia thrashes New Zealand in Twenty20
A fast bowling blitz saw Australia thrash New Zealand by 54 runs in a Twenty20 international at the WACA Ground here Tuesday. The home side made 186 for six from its 20 overs, led by an unbeaten 85 from powerful all-rounder Andrew Symonds, and the Black Caps managed just 132 in reply in front of 17,344 spectators.
Although Twenty20 is viewed as a batsman's game, the Australian pace attack derailed New Zealand's run chase from the start with some extremely hostile bowling in another tough match for new Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori. On a lively wicket, Brett Lee (17-2) claimed the wicket of dangerous opener Lou Vincent from the first ball of the innings, the Kiwi batsman getting a top edge to a rising ball and skying it to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. Lee then dismissed Brendon McCullum, who had survived a close third umpire run out decision and audaciously slashed the Australian quick over point for six in his previous over, in similar fashion, caught behind from a leading edge for 13.
Fellow tearaway Shaun Tait (22-2) was brought into the attack and claimed a wicket with his first ball, Jamie How (4) gloving a bouncer through to Gilchrist, who pulled in a stunning catch. Gilchrist leapt high to get a hand to the ball, and then wheeled around and dived full length to snare the ball in one hand. The first three New Zealand wickets had all fallen to express, rising deliveries. Three deliveries later, Tait removed Ross Taylor for a duck off an inside edge. When Gilchrist took his fourth catch to remove Mathew Sinclair for a duck, the third of the innings, and give Mitchell Johnson (19-2) his first wicket, the Black Caps were 31 for five and the game was as good as over as a contest. Another quick, Ashley Noffke, celebrated his promotion with 18-3. Kiwi all-rounder Jacob Oram restored some respectability and gave another reminder of his hitting ability with an unbeaten 66 from 31 balls, hitting five sixes in eight balls from the spin of Symonds.
Australia's imposing total was built around a typically brutal knock from Andrew Symonds, who faced just 46 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. Australia was not in great shape at 73 for three after 10 overs, but Symonds teamed with rookie Adam Voges (26) for an 80-run stand that accelerated the innings. Michael Clarke, captaining the Australian side for the first time, opened the batting with Adam Gilchrist and made 33 from 26 balls.
Although Twenty20 is viewed as a batsman's game, the Australian pace attack derailed New Zealand's run chase from the start with some extremely hostile bowling in another tough match for new Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori. On a lively wicket, Brett Lee (17-2) claimed the wicket of dangerous opener Lou Vincent from the first ball of the innings, the Kiwi batsman getting a top edge to a rising ball and skying it to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. Lee then dismissed Brendon McCullum, who had survived a close third umpire run out decision and audaciously slashed the Australian quick over point for six in his previous over, in similar fashion, caught behind from a leading edge for 13.
Fellow tearaway Shaun Tait (22-2) was brought into the attack and claimed a wicket with his first ball, Jamie How (4) gloving a bouncer through to Gilchrist, who pulled in a stunning catch. Gilchrist leapt high to get a hand to the ball, and then wheeled around and dived full length to snare the ball in one hand. The first three New Zealand wickets had all fallen to express, rising deliveries. Three deliveries later, Tait removed Ross Taylor for a duck off an inside edge. When Gilchrist took his fourth catch to remove Mathew Sinclair for a duck, the third of the innings, and give Mitchell Johnson (19-2) his first wicket, the Black Caps were 31 for five and the game was as good as over as a contest. Another quick, Ashley Noffke, celebrated his promotion with 18-3. Kiwi all-rounder Jacob Oram restored some respectability and gave another reminder of his hitting ability with an unbeaten 66 from 31 balls, hitting five sixes in eight balls from the spin of Symonds.
Australia's imposing total was built around a typically brutal knock from Andrew Symonds, who faced just 46 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. Australia was not in great shape at 73 for three after 10 overs, but Symonds teamed with rookie Adam Voges (26) for an 80-run stand that accelerated the innings. Michael Clarke, captaining the Australian side for the first time, opened the batting with Adam Gilchrist and made 33 from 26 balls.
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