January 09, 2008	Wednesday	Zilhaj 29, 1428

SYDNEY, Jan 8: India’s cricketers headed for Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach instead of the training ground on Tuesday as the fate of their Australian tour hung in the balance over a bitter race row.

The Indians had been scheduled to travel to Canberra on Monday to prepare for a tour match but remained in Sydney following the BCCI decision to informally suspend the tour.

The row erupted after Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh received a three-match racism suspension for allegedly insulting Andrew Symonds and the Indians accused the host nation of breaching the spirit of the game.

There was little evidence of the tensions that have wracked the team since Australia’s ill-tempered win in the second Test in Sydney as India’s players emerged from their hotel late Tuesday morning.

Making the most of the unplanned rest day, the Indian players made a short coach trip to Bondi, some playing an impromptu game of beach volleyball with local surf lifesavers before having lunch at a surfside restaurant.—AFP