Match Referee Mark Procter was quick to welcome the move as a “magnificent gesture”, calling it representative of the “sportsmanship the Indian team possesses and the way they play their game”.

The Indian team management’s decision followed a 30-minute, closed-door reconciliation meeting between the two captains Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting, with ICC Chief Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle playing the peace broker.

After the meeting, Ponting said he hoped that the focus from here on will remain on cricket, and that “the teams acknowledge that the game must be played in its true spirit”.

However, the cloud still hasn’t lifted over Harbhajan Singh, who was given a three-match ban following Australia’s charges of racism against him. Even if Cricket Australia — under more pressure now to show similar magnanimity towards India — decides to withdraw the charges against the spinner, it’s too late according to ICC laws.

The case has now gone to the Appeals Commissioner, and the process would have to take its full course. Any action/retraction of charges can happen only in his presence during a hearing. Asked if the charge against Harbhajan could be dropped like in the case of Hogg, Madugalle admitted today that it was “technically not” possible.

Late in the evening, the ICC announced that the hearing on Harabhjan’s appeal against the ban will be conducted after the end of the four-Test series on January 29-30, but before the Twenty20 matches and one-day series. ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed added that they would have preferred to conduct the hearing earlier but it was not possible due to different factors.

Hogg, who got off the hook today, had been accused of a Level 3.3 offence for calling Kumble a “bastard” during the controversial Sydney Test. The bowler subsequently apologised to Kumble, and repeated this at Monday’s hearing, and the apology was accepted by the Indian team management.

Explaining the decision to drop the charges, Kumble said: “It was important that the game of cricket moves on. Cricket is larger than any individual. It is important we forget what happened in Sydney, it was just one of those bad moments, just an incident probably in the heat of the moment. And we decided as a team to move on and remove the charges against Brad Hogg.”

Hogg issued a statement thanking the Indian team for its “kind, lovely gesture”. “It’s much appreciated by myself and the Australian cricket team. Hopefully the future contests between India and Australia are good viewing for the spectators and enjoyable for the teams,” he added.

Acknowledging the “wonderful” gesture of the Indian team, Procter said: “I was tendered a letter from the captain and the manager when the hearing started, based on which I declared the case as dismissed.”

Ponting called today’s meeting “productive”.

“I am convinced that both the teams can move into the next game clearly understanding the parameters under which the game should be played,” he said.

One old parameter, however, stands chucked. The fielder-takes-call clause will no longer be applicable for the matches, with the generous Kumble putting his foot firmly down on this matter in light of the Sydney fiascos. The final word, it has been decided, will again be that of the third umpire.