February 26, 2008	Tuesday	Safar 18, 1429

SYDNEY, Feb 25: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has avoided a penalty for using illegal wicket-keeping gloves during Sunday’s narrow 18-run tri-series loss to Australia.

Dhoni has agreed not to use the gloves again after they were found to have illegally large webbing.

Former Australian wicket-keeper turned television commentator Ian Healy sparked the investigation into Dhoni’s gloves after the Indian skipper pulled off a stunning diving catch to remove Adam Gilchrist.

The ball lodged in the webbing of Dhoni’s gloves and Healy claimed that the webbing was illegal because it was too big.

International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Jeff Crowe informed the Indian camp of the concerns and Dhoni switched gloves during the Australian innings.

Crowe confiscated one glove for further investigation and it was inspected after the match

by the referee, the two field umpires, Daryl Harper and Tony Hill, and third umpire Bruce Oxenford.

They found the gloves had illegal extra webbing between the thumb and forefinger.—AFP