page_title: Second Test, 2007–08 Border–Gavaskar Trophy
section_title: Background of racism allegations
hierarchical_section_title: Second Test, 2007–08 Border–Gavaskar Trophy / Fallout / Background of racism allegations
caption_attribution_description: en:Harbhajan Singh at en:Adelaide Oval
context_page_description: The Second Test in the Indian cricket team's tour of Australia for the 2007–08 summer was a controversial Test cricket match played over five days at the Sydney Cricket Ground from 2 to 6 January 2008. Australia won the match by 122 runs with minutes to spare at the end of the fifth day.
  The match attained notoriety owing to the number of umpiring wrong decisions given by international umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson and accusations of poor sportsmanship against Australian players and Harbhajan Singh. The match ended in a dramatic defeat of the Indian team in the final ten minutes of the five-day match, with some commentators suggesting that the umpiring mistakes had a major impact on the course of the match. The result ensured that Australia retained the Border–Gavaskar Trophy, as well as taking Ricky Ponting's team to 16 consecutive Test wins, equalling the previous Test record, also held by Australia under Steve Waugh. The controversy was termed by parts of the media as Bollyline, a reference to the 1930s controversy Bodyline.
context_section_description: During Australia's previous tour of India for seven ODIs in October 2007, Symonds, the only non-white Australian player, was subjected to monkey chants from some members of the Indian crowd at the fifth ODI in Vadodara.
  Before the start of the tour, Symonds had expressed his displeasure over the celebrations in India over the Twenty20 World Cup win preceding the series. The tournament was won by India after defeating Australia in the semi finals and Pakistan in the final, and they were given a ticker-tape parade in Mumbai upon their return home.
  Something has been sparked inside of me, watching them carry on over the last few days. We have had a very successful side and I think watching how we celebrate and how they celebrate, I think we have been pretty humble in the way we have gone about it. And personally, I think they have got far too carried away with their celebrations. It has definitely sparked passion inside of us. It has certainly spiced it up as well. Something gets triggered inside of you, something is burning inside of you – it is your will for success or your animal instinct that wants to bring another team down, We have been at the top for so long, it is like someone has taken the favourite thing you own from you and you want it back.
  — Andrew Symonds, Australian cricket player.
  In an interview after second ODI at Kochi, Harbhajan criticized the Australian team as bad losers after their defeat to India in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup, and referred to words that he had exchanged with them in the Kochi match.
  They clearly did not like that [the Twenty20 loss to India]. They are a very good cricket side, but that does not mean that they can do whatever they want to do. They say they play the game in the right spirit, but they don't in reality. There is nothing gentlemanly about the way they play. I was responding to a lot of vulgar words that were said to me, I don't have any problem with chitchat on the field, so long as it is about the game. But when it is very personal and vulgar, that is not on. They think you cannot fight back and they do not like it when you do.
  — Harbhajan Singh
  During the Kochi match, the Indian paceman Sreesanth had several heated exchanges with Symonds when Australia were batting, and had to be pulled away from Symonds by teammates after dismissing him. However, Symonds's innings had already laid the platform for an eventual Australian victory.
  The issue regarding Symonds became controversial and came to a climax during the final ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where four men were arrested for taunting Symonds with monkey gestures and a large proportion of the crowd booed Symonds when he came out to bat. Symonds fell for a golden duck.
  It was reported in the media that Harbhajan had called Symonds a "monkey" in India, but that no further action was taken after the matter was resolved privately with a promise that it would not be repeated.
  Prior to this series, the two teams made a deal with the match referees to ensure good conduct. The nature of the deal has been contested by the two sides. The Australians insist that the deal stated that there would be no racism, including calling others monkeys, and Harbhajan was accused of breaking his promise to Symonds. The Indian officials believed that the deal also obligated the pair to additionally avoid exchanging words. According to Justice John Hansen who carried out the appeal for Harbhajan, the pact was broken by Symonds who swore at Harbhajan at the end of the 116th over.
caption: Harbhajan Singh, accused of calling Andrew Symonds a monkey, bowling in the nets.
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