Kapil comfortable with Sreesanth's war-dance, Sidhu cries foul

New Delhi, Dec 19 (UNI) Purists may scorn at it but Kapil Dev is comfortable with S Sreesanth's war dance in the Wanderer Test against South Africa, while his former teammate Navjot Singh Sidhu felt the Indians have always suffered because of a certain double standard by the match officials abroad.

Sreesanth was fined for his ''unsportsmanlike conduct'' after he ran towards Hashim Amla having dismissed the batsman in South Africa's second innings. But it was his duel with Proteas pacer Andre Nel which saw the Indian breaking into a wild war dance after hitting a six in the very next ball after he was sledged by the bowler.

Kapil, who had once openly criticised Sourav Ganguly for his shirt-whirling antics in Lord's balcony, said, ''The youths are so much full of energy. I may not like Sourav Ganguly for taking off his shirt and swirling it or the way Sreesanth came out to whirl his bat. But at the end of the day, it probably gives them the passion and if that is a pre-requisite for Team India's win, I have no problem with that.'' Kapil, however, still felt that aggression didn't necessarily mean showing emotions out there in the field.

''For me, aggression lies in your performance. (John) McEnroe was aggressive in the court, showing full range of his emotion. But (Bjorn) Borg was a champion too, despite being a quiet person on court. I guess we are in an entertainment industry where people like to see the anger.'' Sidhu, however, felt Indian bowlers always suffered because of a certain double standard adopted by match officials abroad.

''I don't know why pacers like (Glenn) McGrath or Andre Nel get away with the abuses, why the match officials always haul up an Indian pacer for the same act. I mean if McGrath can do it, why not Sreesanth?'' Sidhu asked.

And the former opener didn't find anything wrong in Sreesanth's antics.

''It was a great sight. Sreesanth was fighting fire with fire, and this is the reason why you admire people like Sourav Ganguly. He matched Steve Waugh's verbal ding-dong and the result was before us to see.

''I mean why it is that whenever we give others a taste of their own medicine that all hell breaks loose?'' Sidhu asked.

The cricketer-turned-politician-cum-commentator, however, agreed with Kapil that aggression should be more mental and less apparent.

''Aggression doesn't mean mouthing foul words. It has to be more in the mind. For me, (Rahul) Dravid is one of the most aggressive batsmen and the same goes about Anil Kumble, despite he being a spinner,'' he said.

Both Sidhu and Kapil hailed India's first ever Test match win in South Africa and said beating South Africa at home meant a lot for the side.

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