Controversial Bell puts England in charge

Ian Bell drives on his way to the topscore of 159.

NOTTINGHAM, England, (Reuters) – Ian Bell scored an  immaculate if controversial 159 that helped put England in  command against India at the close of the third day of the  second test at Trent Bridge yesterday. England, who were 24 for one overnight, closed on 441 for  six in their second innings, an overall lead of 374. India  already need to complete the highest run chase to win a  Nottingham test, England’s 284 for six against New Zealand in  2004.

Ian Bell drives on his way to the topscore of 159.

The day featured a dramatic U-turn after England trailed  India’s first innings by 43 runs at the start of the day, when  Bell was on nine. Eoin Morgan chipped in with 70, Kevin  Pietersen made 63, while Matt Prior was 64 not out with Tim  Bresnan on 47 at the close.

Bell was at his stylish best in registering his 15th test  hundred as he guided England from adversity into a position of  strength. But a freak run out on the stroke of tea proved the  day’s talking point.

Morgan clipped Ishant Sharma to square-leg and the batsmen  completed three runs and then asumed the ball had crossed the  boundary as fielder Praveen Kumar gave the impression it was in  fact four runs, although he never signalled.

As umpire Asad Rauf waited for confirmation whether it was a  four or a three, Kumar casually returned the ball and Abhinav  Mukund eventually took off the bails while Bell was out of his  crease, walking back to the pavilion for tea.

After some discussion, with the batsmen by now standing on  the edge of the field, Bell was given out to the widespread  disapproval of the crowd and the England team, who are 1-0 up in  the four-match series.

When the umpires and the Indians returned after tea to a  chorus of boos from the 15,000 crowd, Bell then appeared to  everyone’s surprise. It later transpired that during the tea interval the England  captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower approached their  Indian counterparts and asked if they wished to reverse their  appeal.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told Strauss he would  consult his team before returning with an agreement to allow  Bell to return.

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Technically Law 27.8 states that such a decision has to  involve the umpires and must happen on the field of play. The  fact it was on the last ball before tea may have meant there was  room for some discretion.

When the news was announced to spectators during a drinks’  break in the evening session, the India team received a standing  ovation from the appreciative Nottingham crowd.

“I was just meandering off for tea,” Bell told a news  conference. “I was naive and it was a stupid thing to do.

“The right decision was made in the spirit of cricket.”

It was a sporting gesture although it may not go down well  with every Indian as Bell and Morgan went on to add a further 69  runs, of which Bell’s share was 22.

That incident will be remembered as one of the more bizarre  moments in test history but for the present, it could have a  serious bearing on the result of the match as England led by  just 187 runs at the time. The controversy should not overshadow the quality of Bell’s  206-ball innings which included 24 boundaries. India struggled to contain his array of elegant and  perfectly timed strokes to anything that was slightly off-line,  especially several delicate late cuts through a vacant gully  region. He has now struck four centuries in his last nine test  innings.

The runs after Bell’s innings ended were painful ones for  India. Morgan faced just 88 balls for his 70, bringing his 50 up  with a six, while Prior also accelerated mercilessly, managing  his runs from 55 deliveries. Prior has added 102 with Bresnan so  far.

Earlier, Strauss’s poor run of form continued as he was  caught behind for 16 and he has now failed to score more than 32  in his last eight innings.