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Sydney: India captain Anil Kumble launched an astonishing attack on Australia's cricketers after his team were beaten in the second test on Sunday, accusing them of breaching the spirit of the game.
Kumble was unable to contain his fury after his team were beaten by 122 runs in a thrilling and controversial end to one of the most absorbing matches ever seen at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Asked by Indian journalists about Australia's tactics, Kumble echoed something similar to the immortal line used by the Australian captain Bill Woodfull during the 1932-33 Bodyline series against England.
"Only one team was playing with the spirit of the game," Kumble said.
He also said he was prevented from elaborating on his specific complaints about the Australian players but indicated he was upset at the refusal of their batsmen to walk when they were clearly out.
At the wrong end
The Indians were on the wrong end of a number of bad umpiring decisions throughout the course of the match but the most crucial occurred on the first day when Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was given not out by West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor.
Symonds, who later admitted he had nicked the ball and should have been sent packing, was on 30 at the time but went on to make 162 not out and help Australia recover from a batting slump to make 463.
"We like to play hard on the field and we expect that from Australia as well," Kumble said. "I've played my cricket very sincerely and very honestly and that's the approach my team takes on the field and I expect that from Australians as well."
Kumble also bristled when asked about some of Australia's appeals after Rahul Dravid was controversially given out, caught behind on the last day when he had failed to make contact with the ball ... We had decided that we will be honest and when a catch is taken the player says he's taken it, the captain nods his head and the umpire gives him out," Kumble said.
Kumble did admit his team had batted poorly on the last day, collapsing to be all out for 210 when they needed to bat through the day to salvage a draw. However, he insisted his team still did not deserve to lose.
"The fair result would have been a draw," he said.
"It's tough when you've played all forms of cricket over the last 25 years and end up on the losing side like this." He added:
"We could have probably showed a bit more fight and we could have saved the game."
Call for ouster
Indian officials have called on the sport's world governing body to ban umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson from officiating in the rest of the series.
The Indian team manager, Chetan Chauhan, said: "I have been informed by the BCCI that they are lodging a strong protest with the ICC, so that some of the incompetent umpires do not umpire in the rest of the series.
"I would like to express the sentiment of the team. The way the umpiring was, the team is agitated and upset. A lot of decisions have gone against us, of course a few went against the Australians also. Had some of the decisions, I would say 50 per cent, [been] received in our favour, the result would have been different."
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