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The Indian cricket team is confident that spinner Harbhajan Singh will win an appeal over racially abusing Australia's Andrew Symonds during the second test in Sydney.
Team spokesman MV Sridhar said the tourists were confident Harbhajan's three test suspension for calling Symonds a "monkey" will be overturned once the appeal is lodged with the International Cricket Council (ICC).
"We're very clear that Harbhajan has not said that," he said as the team had a light jog and lunch at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
"We feel there's not much evidence to say he said that either."
When Harbhajan was asked by the waiting media earlier today whether he was confident of winning his appeal, he nodded his head and said "yes" before boarding the team bus.
The Board of Cricket for Control in India (BCCI) suspended the current tour of Australia pending the outcome of the appeal.
The tourists were due to arrive in Canberra yesterday for a weekend match against an ACT 11 but have remained in Sydney on BCCI orders.
But Sridhar said the team was not considering ending the tour.
"There's no thinking as of now of doing anything drastic towards the tour," he said.
"We're awaiting instructions from the BCCI and we're hoping they will communicate something to us today and as soon as we receive the instructions we will react accordingly.
"We hope we're going to appeal today and we're waiting for that."
The tourists have argued Harbhajan's hearing was a case of the word of the Indian players against that of the Australians.
In such a situation, they believe the spinner should not have been found guilty.
When asked if the allegation of racism was the main problem, Sridhar said "that has been the final nail" and an "unfortunate tag that is given is something that nobody wants".
"Most of us recognise if it's cricketing reasons (causing concern) that's one thing but it's (the racism allegation) given an unfortunate dimension to the entire thing and is definitely what's disturbing," he said.
Sridhar said the Indian team didn't necessarily want an apology but it could be helpful for the two captains, Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble, to meet to discuss the situation.
"It's not too late for anything," he said when asked about a Ponting-Kumble meeting.
"If it's something good for cricket, all the better."
Kumble refused to answer questions about the matter or the future of the tour.
ACT Cricket today said it still had not heard from Cricket Australia whether the game scheduled for this weekend will be played.
"We're still waiting to find out," a spokeswoman told AAP.
"We're still preparing as if the game is going ahead."
The cash-rich BCCI risk a fine of up to US$2 million ($2.64 million) for pulling out of the tour and could be liable to reimburse Cricket Australia for any losses incurred.
The decision to suspend the tour followed a turbulent 24 hours after Australia's dramatic victory over India at the SCG as relations between the two cricketing superpowers reached breaking point.
Harbhajan's punishment was the final straw for the embattled tourists who trailed in their four-test series 2-0.
Kumble provocatively accused the Australians of not playing in the spirit of the game after the SCG test and BCCI chiefs have called on umpire Steve Bucknor to be scratched from the third test in Perth scheduled to start Wednesday week.
"The Indian board realises the game of cricket is paramount but so too is the honour of the Indian team and for that matter every Indian," the BCCI said in a statement.
"To vindicate its position, the board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player.
"The board will appeal to the ICC to review the decision of the match referee and suspend its operation until the appeal is disposed of."
The Indians have also lodged an official complaint against Australia's Brad Hogg for abusive language towards Kumble during the second test.
- AAP
