High Drama At ARG

A batsman declared himself out after the innings was concluded and a captain escaped censure for unsporting behaviour on a dramatic day ofcricket in the first Test here.

It was one of the rarest occasions in history of the game when Mahendra Singh Dhoni was declared out but only after heaccepted the fielder's word that he had taken a catch cleanly -- not on the ground but inside the dressing room.

Having hit three straight sixes off left-arm spinner Dave Mohammad, Dhoni was apparently caught at the mid-wicket fence by Darren Ganga before the catch became a matter of dispute.

"I was walking off the field when I had the eye-contact with umpires and decided to stay put," Dhoni said after thefourth day's play.

While Dhoni was walking off, captain Rahul Dravid made a motion of declaration towards his two batsmen. The otherbatsman Mohammad Kaif too joined him when Dhoni made "eye-contact" with the umpire.

Standing umpire Asad Rauf, unsure if the fielder had stepped on the boundary ropes, called for the third umpire
Billy Doctrove to make a call. Doctrove was unable to reach a decision because ofinconclusive replays -- the cameras had the fielder catching the ball but did not cover his legs.

With the third umpire forfeiting his role, it became a free for all in the middle.

"Darren (Ganga) was not sure because it was on his back side. It's pretty hard on the player if he has stepped on tothe paper (cardboard) while taking a catch," said Dhoni.

"With field umpires unable to take a call, Brian came to me and said he was taking charge of his players and whateverthey say is going to be the truth and 'I think you should walk off'," Dhoni said.

With Dhoni undecided on how to react and the field umpires stumped for a decision, Lara showed his discontent bysnatching the ball from Rauf's hands and throwing it back to the bowler.

Television pictures showed the Pakistani umpire was unhappy with the reaction of the West Indian captain.

Sources in the West Indies camp said Lara was unhappy how could the innings continue once Dravid had already motioned adeclaration. According to rules, that should be the end of that particular innings.

According to this source, Lara told the two Indian batsmen that if they wanted to play the game in such an ugly
spirit then so be it.

Dravid finally motioned the players in again and the matter was thus ended.

Confusion still prevailed before it was adjudged inside the sanctity ofthe field umpires' room that Dhoni was indeed out. "I came to know of the dismissal once I was in thedressing room," said Dhoni.

It must be the one incident of its kind when a batsman was out, declared so not on the field but beyond it. One shudders to think what would have happened if it was the last ball of the match and the batting team needed a sixto win!

PTI