By Sreelata S. Yellamrazu

There is something to be said for the modern Indian cricketer- he knows what he wants and is not afraid to go after it. But the story of the IPL is adding an appendage to the statement with the phrase ‘no matter what the cost.’ That aphorism was tested once more in the match between the Delhi Daredevils and the Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur, but with a twist to the tale.
Few may recall when play was briefly held up as the ground staff frantically tried to resupply power to the camera providing the third umpire with the television replays of run out. The signal thereafter from on-field umpire Rudi Koertzen suggested that that option was eliminated with the enterprise having failed to rectify matters. On that occasion, Shane Watson was the batsman waiting patiently at the crease.
Fast forward to the death of the Rajasthan innings and all hell broke loose. Watson, on live television, appeared short of his crease but for some reason Steve Davis failed to make the right call. Worse still for the Daredevils, he made no gesture towards the television umpire. Having witnessed the action firsthand, the Daredevils refused to accept the umpire’s decision. In keeping with the events that followed earlier, Virender Sehwag, skipper of the Daredevils, rightfully requested Davis to inquire whether the third umpire was available to make the decision.
But here is the tricky bit. Davis remained adamant in his decision, and if benefit of the doubt be applied to him, he was in all fairness perhaps unaware that power had indeed been restored. The circuitous bit of information failed to reach the on-field umpires. In that, Sehwag had done the wise thing to request the umpire to make the query.
But the Daredevils had crossed the limits of playing within the spirit of the game when they failed to accept the umpire’s decision and continued defiantly in their appeal, making the entire scenario another fiasco and even using the opportunity to jibe Watson for not walking off. (Expect the Royals to sit pretty with the Fair Play award!)
Perhaps the Daredevils would have benefitted from making the request for inquiry and leaving it there for the umpires’ next move instead of taking it one step further in obvious defiance of the umpire and asking for the appeal against Davis’ prior decision. Perhaps the Daredevils should not have waited this long to dismiss Watson. Watson was fortunate on numerous occasions in this one innings alone, when Sehwag dropped a regulation catch and another when Yomahesh had him trapped lbw, a point lost on Koertzen. Instead the focus has now shifted from umpire’s increasing human errors (Koertzen would have been lectured himself instead of his lecturing Sehwag in the dying moments of the game!) to teams taking matters into their hands, firmly believing they are in the right even when they have crossed all limits to prove their point.

Leniency in light of what happened has been requested. But there are two parts to the story where they should be let off for pointing out to the umpire that an inquiry should be made on whether power had been restored but not for the insistent manner in which they went about things until the decision was declared their way. If they are let off for the latter part of their behaviour, what is to stop players from making a scene everything a decision goes against them?
Already the cricket world has seen why Sourav Ganguly bears the moniker ‘dada’ (although admittedly it is a nickname of fonder times). Ganguly decided to view matters as he chose while completely forgetting the gentleman’s rule where it is becoming of the batsman to walk off once the decision of the umpire has been made final. (Here again was a case of admonishing the weak umpire for falling into the trap instead of standing his ground.) Ganguly’s vociferous appeal to change the umpire’s mind and dictate to him to refer to the third umpire is not in keeping with the game, another point lost on a man who has a prolific profile in the international game for well over a decade! Shane Warne’s grievance is another matter that was again two-fold, firstly with Ganguly’s antics and secondly, with the fact that the technology to vindicate matters on the field still leaves a lot to be desired.
The Harbhajan-Sree Santh fiasco has already shown Indian cricket in a poor light added to which Ganguly’s behaviour only provoked more people (read: Australians) to present themselves as hallowed people-pleasers with an unfair reputation. It has to a large extent undone the efforts put up to pull the Indians out of a disturbing mire they found themselves down under.

For the sake of maintaining the integrity of Indian cricket (when it is making a case for banning sledging altogether) as also for promoting the IPL as an Indian enterprise that fuels the sport as opposed to being a freeway for Indian players who are showing little restraint in venting their angst, it is perhaps time a little hard talk is required.