There is already some anger against the Australians for not walking, for claiming catches that may not have been clean, for appealing for catches where there was no nick. This is misplaced. However, human error in umpiring is too much of a factor in cricket. All teams play with the notion, you win some, you lose some. And in some cosmic calculation, presumably, it all evens out in the end. In Sydney it did not — the sum of the errors took the game away from India. Those errors belonged to the umpires alone. There are arguments against using technology more frequently to decide tricky appeals; these nay-sayers must consider that at a time when technology makes errors too visible, can cricket sustain suspicion and conspiracy theories drawn from this visibility?

When results of matches are perceived to be so blatantly unfair, the game of cricket itself comes into disrepute. The BCCI, as a key player in cricket administration worldwide, must take much blame. Its officials have all eyes on the bottomline, and squander their immense leverage only to ensure lucrative schedules. Today they are standing behind the Indian XI. But they helped bring India to this point. As a part of the ICC edifice, the BCCI must take more seriously its role in moving suitable changes in the way the game is conducted on the field.