5 most controversial overseas incidents in Indian cricket

#1 Sydney 2008 and Monkeygate

The main protagonists of 'Monkeygate'

It is unlikely that there has ever been another controversy of this magnitude in international cricket. The second Test of the series, at Sydney, turned out to be one of the most controversial Test matches in modern-day cricket.

Throughout the course of the Test match, umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson officiated in a way that can only be called amateurish. Almost all the umpiring decisions went against India when Australia were batting and later when the visitors were comfortably placed and in a position to draw the game, decisions started going against them again.

Out of the 11 erroneous decisions, as many as eight favoured the Australians. The Australians appealed for everything on the last day and even claimed catches that had clearly gone to ground. The umpires played along and eventually, India lost the Test match with a few minutes to go on the 5th day.

After the game, Indian captain Anil Kumble famously said, “Only one team was playing with the spirit of the game, that's all I can say.” It was, however, nothing compared to what was to follow.

Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds had been subjected to racial abuse in India from the local crowds during the tour earlier in the year and on the third day of the Sydney Test, he had an altercation with Harbhajan Singh.

Symonds and Matthew Hayden alleged that Harbhajan had called him a 'monkey'. The umpires, who had already become villains in the eyes of the Indian team, reported the incident to the match referee Mike Proctor and stated that the Indian off-spinner had indeed used racist language.

Harbhajan was banned for three Tests and that is when the BCCI stepped in. They announced that the tour was going to be discontinued and the team did not travel to their next venue.

The ICC then involved Mike Hansen, a judge from New Zealand to hear Harbhajan's appeal and the spinner was allowed to play the next Test. On the 28th of January, Hansen stated that there was no proof that Harbhajan had used inappropriate language against Symonds and the charges were dropped.

It remains one of the most controversial episodes in modern cricket history and strained India-Australia relations forever.