In many ways, the Indian cricket team's current tour of England has been an explosive one. When the team was announced, and even after the first couple of weeks on the county circuit, no one expected India to disturb the placid British way of life.

Bedi said Gavaskar has insulted cricket by refusing the MCC offer of honorary membership.



But then came the decisive one-day victories for India at Headingley and Trent Bridge and with it the realisation that this side may, in fact, "live happily ever after". The Indians presented a very buoyant picture prompting manager, Bishen Singh Bedi, to say: "Nothing unites a side more than success."

But the moment the Indians put a wrong foot forward, losing in the Lord's Test by a large margin, controversy erupted. At the centre of it all, was Bedi himself.

England seems to stir Bedi in strange ways. In 1974, he had a most embarrassing slanging match with his captain, Ajit Wadekar. And a few years later, he managed to make headlines again when Northamptonshire refused to renew his contract, a fact that obviously still hurts. And now he is back in the thick of it.

Bedi kicked off his off-field performance questioning Mohammed Azharuddin's decision to put England in at Lord's. "Our batsmen would have liked to bat first on this wicket and as a bowler, I would have liked to bowl fourth on it," he said.

It was an amazing statement coming from the cricket manager. For a start it meant that Bedi has little influence over a side whose strategist he is supposed to be. Worse, he had let the team down when it needed a comforting hand on its shoulders. Sunil Gavaskar who is here as a TV commentator for BBC and columnist for the Daily Telegraph was quick to pounce on Bedi. In his syndicated column he wrote: "If Bedi has any sense of decency, he should resign."

Gavaskar dismissed Bedi's diatribe as unworthy of comment and may not budge from his stand.



Around the same time, and entirely unconnected, reports appeared in The Times and The Independent of Gavaskar turning down the offer of honorary membership of the MCC. Gavaskar had been hurt by the rude behaviour of MCC stewards who had refused him entry to Lord's even though he was playing during the MCC bicentennial. The staid, ivory-towered and frequently rude MCC was clearly on the back-foot.

The defence of the MCC came from an unexpected source. From Bedi. In an outrageous and ill-timed statement, Bedi said Gavaskar had insulted "the cricketing world's highest institution", that he was "ashamed to have played alongside him", and worse, "that he had let down the Indian cricket team, world cricket and all the Indians in "Britain".

This is just another chapter in the continuing Bedi vs Gavaskar battle. It is a confrontation that dates back to 1978-79. India had just returned from Pakistan and Bedi had been replaced by Gavaskar as captain. Clearly, the maestro of spin had seen his best days and when mid-way through the series, he lost his place in the side, he believed Gavaskar was behind it.

What is sad is that the controversy has tainted what was becoming a most enjoyable tour. The Indian cricketers have charmed their way into English hearts with their attitude in the Lord's Test. "This was easily the best Test I have played in. It's a shame one side had to lose," said England captain Graham Gooch who was in blazing form scoring 333 and 123 in the Lords' Test and following it up with another century in the first innings at Old Trafford.

No other side in recent memory would have gone about a target of 653 with as much elan as the Indians did and Azharuddin's amazing 87-ball century is being regarded as a modern classic. Kapil Dev is the only other Indian to have scored a faster century. He took only 74 balls for a century against Sri Lanka.

Lord's will always remember Kapil Dev's four sixes when India was on the verge of being sent in to bat again. Eddie Hemmings, 41, who sent down that over to Kapil will no doubt tell his children for many years how a ruthless Indian tamely defended the first two balls and lifted the other four to the clouds. After three sixes Hemmings asked and got a silly point placed! And, of course, there was Sachin Tendulkar's unbelievable "catch of the '90s" when he ran endless yards to catch Allan Lamb off Hirwani.

What the Indian team needs is a cool head and wisdom that only experience can provide. That really was Bedi's job. On whether he will be able to return to that and leave mindless issues aside will determine the future of this series.