Umpiring Controversies

Ian Bell Run Out at Lord's During Tea Break

21-25 July 2011England vs Australia2nd Ashes Test, Lord's1 min readSeverity: Moderate

Summary

Ian Bell was run out in bizarre circumstances when he assumed the ball was dead at the tea break, only for India to appeal and the umpires to give him out. MS Dhoni later withdrew the appeal.

What Happened

During the second Ashes Test at Lord's, Ian Bell was batting with Eoin Morgan. Just before the tea interval, Bell pushed a ball towards the boundary and both batsmen assumed it would reach the rope. They began walking off for tea.

However, the ball was fielded just inside the boundary. With Bell out of his crease and not paying attention, the Indian fielders (this was actually against India, not Australia, in the Investec Test series) threw the ball to the keeper and appealed. The umpires had no choice but to give Bell out.

The decision caused uproar. The Lord's crowd booed the Indian team. During the tea interval, India captain MS Dhoni sportingly withdrew the appeal, and Bell was allowed to resume his innings. Dhoni's gesture was widely praised as an act of sportsmanship.

Bell went on to score 103, a crucial innings in a match England won. The incident prompted discussions about the laws regarding dead ball at intervals and whether batsmen should be more careful about assuming a ball has reached the boundary.

⚖️ The Verdict

MS Dhoni withdrew the appeal in a widely praised act of sportsmanship. Bell resumed and scored a century.

Tags

#ian bell#run out#lords#ashes#tea break#eoin morgan

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