Daijiworld Media Network
London, Aug 2: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has been lauded for his large-heartedness in withdrawing the runout decision against Ian Bell during the second test against England, on Monday August 1 admitted that calling back Bell had made the team feel good.
He said that none of his team members nor he himself had been feeling good about appealing to the umpires who gave Ian Bell out according to the laws of the game.
On Sunday July 31, Bell was out after he left his crease believing that he had hit the ball for a four. Instead, it was picked by Indian fielders and thrown back to Dhoni, who flicked the stumps and appealed. Third umpire Billy Bowden ruled him out. He was on 137.
However, during the tea break English captain Andrew Strauss requested his Indian counterpart to withdraw the decision, and Dhoni, after consulting with his team, consented.
Dhoni's gesture was received by the crowd with loud cheers - the same crowd had jeered him for appealing against Bell just before the break. The entire cricketing world applauded the Indian team.
A day after India's heavy loss by 319 runs, sources said that it was Sachin Tendulkar's intervention that led to Bell's reinstatement.
"It is no surprise that one of the greatest players to ever grace the game would be such an influential figure in such a big decision and would be aware of the implications of the run-out standing," the Daily Mail reported.
"Dhoni was asked three times on the field whether he was appealing and each time he said yes. Then when Flower and Strauss went to see Dhoni and Fletcher they said their captain insisted the decision would stand. Tendulkar was the voice in the dressing room that got Bell reinstated," it said.