It Was A Mistake On My Behalf, Should Never Do That - Ian Bell Recalls Controversial Run Out vs India In 2011

Former England batsman Ian Bell takes a trip down memory lane remembering the controversial run-out fiasco against Team India during the Trent Bridge Test held in 2011. He also admitted that it was a mistake on his part that he wasn’t careful enough to complete the run.

The last ball before tea on the third day in Nottingham, during England’s second innings, Eoin Morgan hit the ball towards the fine leg boundary, where Praveen Kumar makes a diving stop. The unurgent reaction of Kumar made it believe that the ball had touched the boundary rope. However, it didn’t.

Having incorrectly thought it had gone for four, Ian Bell left his crease and headed towards the pavilion assuming the session was over and the ball dead. Meanwhile, Kumar threw the ball back at the keeper’s end to MS Dhoni, who lobbed it to Abhinav Mukund, who dislodged the bails.

An appeal was made by the Indians on the field, and the third umpire ruled Ian Bell out, as the ball had not touched the rope and therefore was still in play -the batsman was correctly given run-out.

I literally just belted for the pavilion when I thought it was four: Ian Bell

Ian Bell admitted that it was his mistake to have not completed the run, and instead hurried back towards the dressing room – the right-hander jokes that maybe he was hungry.

The run-out decision of Ian Bell by the third umpire – which was correct – was received with a chorus of boos by the English fans in the stadium. When the Indian team entered the field after the session break, they were met with plenty more boos; the boos soon changed into cheers when the crowd saw Ian Bell walk out to bat again as they realized MS Dhoni and the Indian team had withdrawn the appeal.

MS Dhoni won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award in 2011, and recently the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade for his gesture of recalling Ian Bell back. However, the batter showed no mercy on the opposition as he went on to score 159 runs helping England to a victory.

“Yes, it’s interesting. When I look back to that, I mean, I must have been hungry or something because I literally just belted for the pavilion when I thought it was four if it was either way around, I would have been safe and we would have been fine,” Ian Bell said while Speaking to the Grade Cricketer’s YouTube channel.

“But yeah, they obviously got hDhoni a ‘Spirit of the Game’ award for the decade or something like that. But yeah [it was] a mistake on my behalf, should never do that,” Ian Bell told The Grade Cricketer’s YouTube channel,” the 39-year-old admitted.

Also Read: I Don’t Think India Played Any Mind Game, To Be Honest; Australia Messed It And Lost: Deep Dasgupta