Even as the second cricket Test between India and Australia began at the Sydney Cricket Ground today, the Australian media has raked up the 2008 Monkeygate issue to tarnish the image of Sachin Tendulkar by linking him to the controversy at a time when the batting maestro was expected to reach his land mark by hitting his 100th test century.

The Monkeygate controversy was related to the reported referring to the Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds as ‘monkey’ by the Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh in the last Test between the two sides played at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2008.

Harbhajan denied the allegation but based on the witness of the Australian players, he was given a three-match ban on charges of racial abuse. But the testimony of Sachin Tendulkar in favour of Harbhajan had resulted in the reduction of the punishment to a fine of 50 percent of his match fees.

Now, the two players involved in the controversy Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds were not there in the present test. Also, the two players, forgetting their bitter memories of the 2008, shared dressing room three years later in 2011when they played together as teammates of for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Now, where was the need for the Australian media to dig deep into the incident and write about the role of Sachin in the controversy if not for tarnishing his image?

Indian media sees this also as part of the Australian media’s efforts to divert the concentration of the ace opener from contributing his might in the second test and there by preventing him from reaching his mile stone of 100th test century. (JUBS)