England's Ian Bell plays a shot during the third day of the second Test against India in Nottingham Sunday. — Reuters NOTTINGHAM — India was praised by leading cricket officials for reprieving England century-maker Ian Bell during an extraordinary passage of play in the ongoing second Test at Trent Bridge. Bell, then on 137, was allowed to resume his innings after being run out off the last ball before tea on Sunday's third day. Eoin Morgan flicked the final ball of the session to fine leg and the batsmen ran three before thinking it had gone for four and so was ‘dead'. Bell, who had made a superb 137, then left his ground to walk off to the pavilion for tea. The ball was returned, however, without touching the ropes by Praveen Kumar and Abhinav Mukund took off the bails. The appeal was referred to the third umpire with Billy Bowden ruling Bell was out. Bell was bemused by the decision and claimed the umpires had called “Over” which would have meant he was not out. England coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss went to the visitors' dressing room at tea to ask India, whose coach is ex-England supremo Duncan Fletcher, if they wanted the appeal to stand. And minutes later Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni withdrew their appeal. Technically, the decision had come too late as Cricket's Law 27.8 (withdrawal of an appeal) states that a captain wanting to withdraw an appeal “must do so before the outgoing batsman has left the field of play”. England reached 441-6 at stumps Sunday, a lead of 374 runs, after a controversial third day in the second Test against India at Trent Bridge. Ian Bell hit 159 from 196 balls but only after India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reversed a controversial dismissal when Bell was run out for 137 on the final ball of the afternoon session. Bell thought the ball had gone over the boundary line and stopped running, only to be run out by India. The batsman came out again after the tea interval with Dhoni's agreement. Eoin Morgan made 70, Matt Prior 64 not out and Kevin Pietersen 63. India's best bowler was Praveen Kumar, who claimed 2-93.
