By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was asked to change his gloves as they had a webbing that did not conform to the rules, said he was wearing similar kind of gloves throughout the tournament and changed them Sunday only to escape a controversy.
Concerns were raised on air by Channel Nine commentators, former Australia stumper Ian Healy and ex-captain Ian Chappell, after Dhoni took a spectacular one-handed catch of his Australian counterpart Adam Gilchrist for 16 early in the Australian innings in the Commonwealth Bank Triangular Series.
The ball lodged inside the gloves’ webbing between the thumb and index finger.
According to the legal specifications, a wicketkeeper’s gloves should have no webbing between the fingers except joining index finger and thumb, where webbing may be inserted as a means of support. However, it should not protrude beyond the straight line joining the top of the index finger to the top of the thumb.
“I have been using them (gloves) for quite some time. They are the exact replica of what I have been using throughout this tournament. I changed the gloves because I thought there is no point in raising a controversy,” Dhoni said in the post match conference.
Match referee Jeff Crowe is understood to have taken one of the gloves for further inspection and Dhoni changed his gloves during a break in the Australian innings. Initially, Dhoni was wearing white gloves and later switched to a blue one.
Asked about India’s 18-run loss against Australia, Dhoni said the top-order should have built the foundation for the big chase.
“I am over all happy with the bowlers performances there is room for improvement for batsmen. If the first five players can contribute with significant partnerships it is good,” he said.
“When you are 50 for four, you don’t expect the match to get so close. We were fortunate that Gautam batted so well and so did the lower order batsmen. The positive came from the bowling department, who restricted the Australians for 318 on a good batting wicket.
He said the team will have to raise their game for the must-win league match against Sri Lanka.
“The next game against Sri Lanka in Hobart is very important. Sri Lanka is a tricky side and it will be the most crucial match in the series.”
Dhoni turned down the Andrew Symonds-Ishant Sharma spat as insignificant.