India withdraw verbal abuse charge against Hogg

New Delhi: The Indian team management has dropped a charge of verbal abuse against Australian spinner Brad Hogg.


The left-arm spinner was alleged to have used offensive language against Indian skipper Anil Kumble and vice-captain Mahendra Dhoni during the Sydney Test. The Indian team management reported the matter to match referee Mike Procter of South Africa.


Procter had last week slapped a three-Test ban on Harbhajan Singh for an alleged racial slur on Andrew Symonds on the basis of statements from Aussie players Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and skipper Ricky Ponting.


The Indian team’s complaint was seen as a counter charge. Withdrawing the charge is a way to embarrass Australia as Kumble had requested Ponting not to press charges of racial abuse against Harbhajan, but the Aussie captain went ahead with the complaint.


India's charge was withdrawn during a meeting between the two captains in the presence of chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka, who was flown in for damage control after a controversial second Test at Sydney.


A series of dubious decisions against India at Sydney saw the visiting side concede an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-Test series. Protests from the Indian cricket Board resulted in the removal of West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor from the next Test.