A Gentleman's Game in a Rogue's World

So I have been listening to an England v. India 5-day test cricket match this weekend and a remarkable event occurred during the play today. To set the scene, India is ranked the top cricket team in the world, but a defeat to England this summer would most likely mean relinquishing the title to England, who have already beaten India once this summer, at Lord's. They are currently in the middle of a hotly contested match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. India is under great pressure to at least earn a draw in the current match.

England was batting today in their second inning, trying to amass a lead that India would not be able to overcome when they take their final bat. The two English batsmen had developed quite a rhythm, with Bell having scored 137 runs. Here is what happened:

The last ball before tea-time was driven towards the boundary and initially appeared to go for automatic 4 runs (if a ball rolls to the rope boundary the batting team earns 4 runs without having to actually run) - though it was not signaled four by the umpire. Bell, assuming that play had ended (as had most of the players from both sides as well as the announcers), began walking towards the pavillion to begin the tea interval. A couple of the Indian players, seeing that Bell had left his crease, knocked off the bails and casually appealed for an out. The English players and fans cried foul, but the umpires, following the letter of the law, called Bell out.

Technically, Bell was out - he should have waited for a signal from the umpire that the play had officially ended. This was a HUGE out by the Indians and certainly would have changed the momentum of the game. The tea interval began with controversy swirling!

After tea, the Indians returned to the field, showered by boos. They huddled in the middle of the pitch, then the announcement was made that the Indians would withdraw their appeal and reinstate Bell as a batsman, having realized that, though Bell was technically out, common sense, tradition and the gentlemanly spirit of cricket should prevail.

As quoted by an official from the International Cricket Commission: "Absolute credit must go to Team India for the superb way that they handled a tricky situation. To see players and officials uphold the Great Spirit of cricket, which has underpinned the game for more than a century, is very special."

Remarkable!