The story of Zaheer Khan’s victory on Trent Bridge – When Jelibin controversy became the inspiration of Team India

It was the first Test series defeat on England’s domestic land after Australia’s tour in 2001. Generally, many reasons for this defeat were considered, but the most important was India’s two Khabu bowlers – Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh – who bowled the best swing with the Duke ball and broke the back of England’s batting.

This series is also remembered for a particular story in the discussion of this victory. Actually it happened that when Zaheer Khan was batting in the Trent Bridge that he won, the England players threw a jelly bean on the pitch. The way Zaheer responded to this is an interesting anecdote. Zaheer bowled brilliantly in Tests (4-59 in the first innings and 5-75 in the second innings) and helped India win the series. This was India’s only fifth Test win in England.

The first Test of that series was a draw due to rain. In the second Test played at Trent Bridge, England was on the backfoot from the beginning and was dismissed for 198 runs in the first innings. Zaheer took 4 wickets. In response, when India batted, the pitch had become easier, the batsmen took advantage of it and a time score was 464/7. When Zaheer Khan came here to bat, there was a jelly bean on the pitch. Zaheer removed some of these from his bat from there but he was all upset.

Zaheer scored 10* runs but was not happy to see Jelly Bean. Was upset but did not let his anger be revealed. On the other hand, the England team did not even know how they would answer?

England lagged behind 283 runs in the first innings. In England’s second innings, Zaheer took 5 wickets including Michael Vaughan, who made 100. India got a target of only 73 runs and India regained a historic victory. This was India’s first Test victory at Trent Bridge. Zaheer Khan took 9 wickets in Tests and won the team. Jelly Bean created a passion in Zaheer for which England was not ready.

Wisden also reported it and wrote, ‘Zaheer’s anger began by putting a jelly bean on an England player’s pitch before he came to bat. Who did this, it does not matter (no evidence of this was found in Sky’s television broadcast but many newspapers wrote the name of Ian Bell for this). Players should respect another team: Compete them, but do not behave any childish act or childish. If the batsman had been Tendulkar, he would not have done this at all, then why did he do it with Zaheer? Therefore, it was justified to get angry and wave the bat with anger. Zaheer could only answer this in a way and he did the same. When India’s team is in excitement, she plays like a better team. England made a big mistake by teasing Zaheer.

Zaheer Khan finally was the highest wicket -taker (18) bowler in the series and the most vigorous contender for the Player of the Series Award. This jelly bean tamasha made India’s victory even more memorable in the Test and series.

Did Jelly Bean really harass Zaheer and this is what he excited him to do something special? Zaheer himself said that what happened gave him ‘inspiration to perform well’. On this story of that time, most of the media reports said that the biggest reason for Zaheer’s good bowling was the resentment of England’s sportsmanship. The Indian team was desperate to win, especially outside the subcontinent and for him by England.

Zaheer was a serious type of cricketer. He used to take Test cricket very seriously. He did not like seeing jelly bean on the pitch. After the test, he clearly said that he felt that he was humiliating him after seeing the jelly bean on the pitch. The common result of this story was removed that this peculiar mischief of England vomited as it made Zaheer ‘inspired to perform well’.

He said: ‘When I came to bat, there was some jelly bean at the crease, so I even removed some from the wicket. After playing the next ball, I saw some more jelly bean falling there. Obviously, someone threw them from behind me and I did not like it at all. Therefore, I also asked the fielders that what is the case finally, they started arguing. I got upset with this. I could not understand where Jelly Bean was coming from? ‘

After this, he also had an argument with Kevin Pietersen. England not only took the issue in a big light, blown it as a joke. Later, Chris Tremlett said, ‘When on the ground for two days, sometimes a little joke is necessary to reduce stress, but the mess is that this time all this happened on the price of the other team. The truth is that perhaps we had chosen a wrong person for this.

However, he believed that even though Peterson was accused of this joke, Ian Bell had thought of all this. He said, ‘Many players have sweets throughout the day. I think Bailey used those sweets of his pocket a little differently. ‘

After this, this story with jelly bean was not completely removed from the discussion. The names of Peterson and Cook kept coming in this satanic. Captain Michael Vaughan was asked many questions on this issue everywhere. Both Vaughan and Cook said that the matter was unnecessarily introduced and spoiled the atmosphere of an interesting Test match.

When the matter was uncontrollable, to end it, captain Michael Vaughan finally apologized for what happened, ‘… When the wicket fell, two jelly beans fell near the stump during the drinks break. I think a player must have left it jokingly for the new batsman. If Zaheer does not like it, then I apologize. Vaughan’s opinion was still that he could not add Zaheer’s performance to this story as he bowled well in the first innings.

In 2022, when former England player Ryan Sidebottam came to India, the story of Jelly Bean came back to the discussion and then he spoke openly in this matter for the first time and said, ‘Sometimes you feel that playing Test cricket and cricket can be very difficult and stressed, similarly it seems that life is very small, then you should just enjoy it with smile on your face. At the time of that story of Jelly Bean, India was at the top in that match and was playing better than us. Then just put jelly bean on the wicket. There was no special intention behind it. This was just a little joke. The English Press introduced it exaggerated. We all want to make fun of a little or the other, and want to enjoy what we are doing.