The incidents of the last week, marred by acrimony and mistrust that came to a head on the final day of the Sydney Test on Sunday, and the subsequent exchange of words has led to an atmosphere of tension all around. India, the rest of the world and Australian fans all are aware that there was plenty of below-the-belt hitting from the home side; only Ponting and his blinkered boys are perplexed at the negative, sometimes outraged, reactions they have triggered.

The respective training sessions will perhaps be the least interesting events of Monday, showing just how much of a back seat cricket itself has taken! Kumble and Ponting are scheduled to meet ICC chief referee Ranjan Madugalle to thrash out differences. It is expected that Kumble will ask for a termination of the pre-series agreement between the captains on low catches, in light of Michael Clarke's dubious claim of a clean catch to dismiss Sourav Ganguly in the second innings.

Responsibility

Madugalle will remind the captains of their responsbility towards playing in the spirit of the game. Ponting may not like it, given the 'disappointment' he expressed when Kumble said only one team was playing in the spirit of the game in Sydney.

Also scheduled for Monday evening, at 6.00 pm local time, is the hearing against Aussie wrist spinner Brad Hogg for the use of abusive language against Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Series match referee Mike Procter will conduct the hearing, which is unlikely to last as long as the seven-hour racial abuse charge hearing against Harbhajan Singh last Sunday night in Sydney.

Indian coach-in-waiting Gary Kirsten, who will be with the team as a 'consultant' for the next few weeks, will lend his experience, expertise and knowledge of the conditions as Kumble tries to button down the composition for the third Test at the WACA starting on Wednesday.

Monday will be the first day the Indians and Australians will come face to face after the last-day dramatics at the SCG. It is unlikely to be a stormy meeting; 'frosty' is perhaps a more appropriate word.

Oh! And yes, there is the issue of Harbhajan's appeals hearing too. The judge has been appointed, but no one is any wiser about when the hearing will actually take place. India want the process to be completed post-haste. It is perhaps in the ICC and Cricket Australia's best interests that the hearing is delayed as much as possible, because if John Hansen upholds Procter's verdict of a three-Test ban, the prospect of an Indian pull-out will loom large all over again.

For, make no mistake, time has most certainly not healed Indian wounds, opened up by the levelling of racial abuse charges and the subsequent 'guilty' verdict against Harbhajan. The team is still as hurt and affronted as it was when the initial judgement was handed down by Procter. And so they should be, given the slur on Harbhajan's character, more than anything else.