Sydney: The real match in Sydney will only begin after the game is over.
The accusations that Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh racially abused Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds on Day III of the match on Friday is threatening to cloud the second Test.
Both Australia and India have hardened their positions and will go into Sunday's disciplinary meeting with the ICC match referee Mike Proctor with their top guns.
On Friday, Sachin Tendulkar, who was Harbhajan's batting partner when the incident took place, had tried to downplay the issue.
"It was about friendship. 'You seem to be very friendly with our bowlers'. That's what he said. 'Aren't you trying to be friends with me now?" a smiling Tendulkar had replied when asked what transpired between Harbhajan and Symonds.
But as it stands now, it isn't all smiles in the Indian camp.
The team management has pledged to put its best foot forward to defend Harbhajan. Tendulkar, skipper Anil Kumble, media manager MV Sridhar, manager Chetan Chauhan and Harbhajan himself will attend the hearing that could decide whether the off-spinner plays on in this tour or is taken to task.
"They will definitely say that because I think he is a person who is troubling them the most and he is one of the strike bowlers and attacking bowler of India and they would definitely want him out of the attack," Chauhan said about the charge against Harbhajan.
While there are concerns now that the race issue will overshadow the ongoing series completely, the Aussies are standing their ground on the issue.
"We believe that we have got a very strong case but I can't really make any comment on that right now. I thing the think is that it is a scenario where none of us like to be in. All of us love the game and we hope we can move forward from it," Australian opener Matthew Hayden said.
Whether the World Champions wilt under pressure or are clever enough to digress ones attention and dampen the spirits is another issue. But the Indian team is making sure that Harbhajan doesn't lose his focus.
"He is a competitive guy. He competes on the field and all men can't be same," Sourav Ganguly said.
Adversity causes some men to break down while others break records. On Sunday, Harbhajan will chart his own course.
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