NOTTINGHAM, England, (Reuters) – England captain Andrew Strauss has promised no repeat of the “silly” jelly-bean incident that occurred the last time his team met India in a test match at Trent Bridge four years ago.
“I think the guys are more mature now,” Strauss told reporters on the eve of today’s second test against the Indians. “They understand their responsibility to the team and they know silly little things aren’t helping the team win.
“The way we look at any test match, everything we do has to be to help the team win. I think we have learned lessons from that … it was a silly little thing and it won’t be repeated.”
The 2007 game in Nottingham was an ill-tempered affair remembered as ‘jellygate’.
India won the match after pace bowler Zaheer Khan, missing this week due to injury, claimed nine wickets. He took inspiration from a prank by England’s fielders which saw jelly beans left on the pitch as he came in to bat.
Zaheer reacted by angrily pointing his bat at Kevin Pietersen.
In the same match paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth was warned for bowling a beamer at Pietersen and the Indian also delivered a bouncer from 20, rather than 22, yards at Paul Collingwood.
India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said verbal banter was okay but added that all the players needed to know what the acceptable limits were.
“That was four years ago and I hope we can keep the controversies away,” said Dhoni. “I hope it will be a much calmer test for the players and the match referee.
“You have boundaries and guidelines that need to be followed so as long as you are below that line it’s fair enough.
“You want a bit of chit-chat to go around because that’s what makes cricket more interesting. As long as nobody is getting personal it’s fair enough,” added Dhoni.
England are 1-0 up in the four-match test series.