Players from both teams indulged in ‘sledging’ during the match and Madugalle felt it was high time Michael Vaughan and Rahul Dravid stood up and took responsibility.
“I’ll have a word with the captains,” Madugalle was quoted as saying by the Independent. “The most important thing is for the captains to realise their responsibilities and for that to cascade down to the rest of the team. People should remember the game for the quality of cricket that is played, that is the bottom line.”
The second Test, which India went on to win by seven wickets, was marred by England’s jelly bean prank on Zaheer Khan, sledging among players and Indian pacer S Sreesanth’s beamers and his deliberate collision with Vaughan. Both captains have played down the incidents, saying it was nothing more than intensity of the players on display.
“I don’t think we stepped over the line. Maybe we said a few things too much in the first innings but it’s called gamesmanship, I don’t think we’ve said anything untoward,” Vaughan has said.