I felt pretty shattered after Harbhajan verdict: Symonds

Sydney: Australia's Andrew Symonds says he was "pretty shattered" on hearing that India's Harbhajan Singh was let off with a minor fine for allegedly racially abusing him in a Test match last month.

Talking about January 29, the day the appeals commissioner in his judgement let off Harbhajan with 50 percent of his match fee as the charge could not be proved, Symonds expressed his disappointment in his weekly column in Australia’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.

"I meet Ricky (Ponting), Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke and our team lawyers and advisors in the hotel lobby to get updated on the latest developments. We travel to the courthouse," he wrote.

"I am in there for three-and-a-half hours giving evidence and listening to Harbhajan's evidence. Finish at 2.30 p.m. and rush to the airport to get a plane back to Brisbane. Land and hear about the outcome of the case. I am pretty shattered."

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Symonds had alleged that the off-spinner had called him a "monkey" during the second Test here that Australia won to take a 2-0 lead in the four-Test series that the hosts eventually won 2-1. Match referee Mike Proctor handed Harbhajan a three-Test ban before Justice Hansen reduced it.

Symonds said that the next day he felt better in the company of his girl friend.

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"Take my girlfriend out for lunch and love every minute of it. Afterwards I feel completely relaxed. Get an early night. Find out Shaun Tait's retired, at least for the time being. What a blow. He's such a popular bloke, a real country boy. I'm sorry he won't be around for a while," he said.

The 32-year-old right-handed batsman also mentioned the moment when he shook hands with Harbhajan for the first time after New Zealand High Court Judge Justice John Hansen's verdict at the end of Australia's comfortable win over India in the one-off Twenty20 International in Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

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"Get on the team bus in Southbank and make our way towards the MCG. This is electric. Now I know what State of Origin football must be like. There's people everywhere. When we get to the 'G', there are 84,000 fans. Unbelievable. An easy win! Shake hands with Harbhajan afterwards," he said.