If there was a talking point in Chennai today apart from Anil Kumble’s Magnificent Seven and India’s control of the day’s play, it was the matter of batsmen walking. In an all-too-rare display of sporting spirit, three Australians returned to the pavilion without waiting for the umpire’s decision; later, Yuvraj Singh followed suit.As if to dispel feelings that the Aussies were getting soft, captain Adam Gilchrist — one of those who ‘‘walked’’ today — said it wasn’t team policy. He also hinted that the motive was to ease pressure on the umpires.Gilchrist and Darren Lehmann were the first to walk, but it was Michael Kasprowicz who drew the most attention. The players appealed for lbw, umpire David Shepherd turned it down, only to find the batsman walking back. Shepherd and non-striker Simon Katich were left dumbfounded; the umpire then exchanged notes his colleague Rudi Koertzen, with much shrugging of shoulders and quizzical looks.Television replays showed Kasprowicz — like the others — didn’t waste his wicket; he’d nicked the ball that was pouched by VVS Laxman at silly point.Anil Kumble, the bowler, lauded Kasprowicz’s gesture. ‘‘It’s a great thing for the sport, especially in an age when so many things have been said about players and their behaviour. It shows the character of the players.’’‘‘It’s not team policy’’, Gilchrist cautioned at the end of the day’s play. ‘‘We have never sat down and said it’s got to happen.’’He then sought to explain the rationale. ‘‘There was a lot made of the umpiring at the last game (in Bangalore) and maybe the players are thinking about that and understanding that the umpires are doing a very, very difficult job. I’m not sure whether the trend is going to continue or not but it is upto the individual and how that person looks to playing the game.’’Gilchrist had set off a storm last year when he walked during the World Cup semifinal against Sri Lanka (his diary of the tournament was called Walking to Victory). It went against the traditional Australian norm of waiting to be given out, summed up by Ian Chappell’s often-stated view that it was the umpire’s job to make the decision.Though most cricket followers had praised his decision at the time, his own captain was critical. ‘‘I won’t be encouraging any of our batsmen to do it. No, it’s up to them,’’ Ricky Ponting had said then.
