Cricketfiles.com

INDIAN century-maker Gautam Gambhir last night claimed his elbow on Shane Watson was an “accident” and just part of the game as tempers exploded during the third Test in Delhi.

Gambhir was in ominous form , he continued from where he left in Mohali and scored his second consecutive  century and frustrated the Australian bowlers who struck two early blows but later on could not make any more inroads as Sachin and Gambhir batted with a lot of patience on a dead pitch, the 130 run partnership between Sachin and Gambhir frustrated the Australian team who resorted to sledging to unsettle the batsmen besides the superb batting display their was another side show was going on, it was the 51st over of the innings, and Gambhir had reached 65, when he had the altercation with Watson. Gambhir flicked Watson towards midwicket – his most productive shot today – and the bowler gesticulated and said something to Gambhir during the first run. While going back for the second, it appeared as if Gambhur stuck out his elbow to hit Watson in the rib cage (he later claimed it was an accident). Another heated exchange followed later, when Simon Katich came in Gambhir’s way as he looked to steal a sharp single.

Gambhir has denied that the elbow was intentional he said:

“It wasn’t deliberate. It just happened.

“I don’t think I need to get into arguments because I feel he (Watson) had no options about getting me out.

“There was no chance he would get me out. It wasn’t a need for few to stick my elbow out. It just happened.”

Umpire Billy Bowden was so worried about a possible physical confrontation between Katich and Gambhir in the shadows of the stumps that he stood between the pair as they jawed off at each other.

“It’s part of the game,” Gambhir said. “They were desperate to get me out. They wanted to break my concentration. It was important to just keep my concentration, that seems to be working.”

Gambhir kept on toying with the Australian bowlers and the elbow incident was just like adding injury to insult, it’s yet to be seen if he will get penalized by the match referee Chris broad, the two teams already have strained relations and this incident might  further escalate  tension between the two teams, this side show besides entertaining the crowds might also increase the TV ratings of the series between the two teams.

India are 296/3 and Gambhir is still on the crease batting on 149, the pitch is predicted to produce variable bounce on the third,fourth and fifth day and the inform Indian bowlers might benefit from it, India are poised to post a huge first innings total against the hapless Australian bowling which lacks variety and is finding no assistance from the pitch, their bowlers struggled to swing or seam the ball consistently through out the day and the lack of bounce in the pitch made Australian pacers toothless, the absence of a Class spinner is again haunting the Ricky Ponting and he is facing the same problems all over again.

India are on top and the Aussies if they come in to bat will be under severe pressure, however if Gambhir is penalized by Chris broad it might have a negative affect on the Indian team.