Opinion Summer chill

So what should have been a keenly fought contest with much bonhomie at the home of cricket is already a different ball game, with charges flying and decibels climbing. The England squad is stunned, its board upset and the fans furious. While the allegation against Anderson is now the subject of an inquiry and any action that follows the result of that probe, what this has done is sour the mood all around. That the Indians have complained against the very man who denied them the advantage in the first Test and scalped Jadeja in the second innings has not helped matters.

In the old days, captains and managers used to step in and sort out off-the-field encounters. Handshakes and pats on the back settled many heated moments, nipped potential rows, de-escalated situations. Cricket then was a gentleman’s game, highly competitive yet sporting. As warm as the English summer, it accommodated chilly interludes. The modern version is different, played the cold, hard way with different levels even for conduct. What India and England do next will decide if some of that warmth can return, on and off the field.