India have suspended their cricket tour of Australia pending the outcome of an appeal against a three-match ban handed to spin bowler Harbhajan Singh.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told its players to stay in Sydney rather than travel to Canberra for a tour match on Thursday.
Harbhajan was banned for making a racist remark during their tempestuous defeat to Australia in the second Test.
He was found guilty of breaching the players' code of conduct.
The International Cricket Council held a four-hour hearing after the Test finished on Sunday, finally announcing their verdict deep into the night in Australia.
Australia's players had claimed that Harbhajan called Australia's Andrew Symonds a "monkey" during an on-field incident.
Match referee Mike Procter said he was satisfied Harbhajan had used the word - though neither of the two umpires heard the remarks - and that "he meant it to offend on the basis of Symonds' race or ethnic origin".
All-rounder Symonds, 32, is the only non-white player in the Australian side.
The BCCI's statement said: "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.
"To vindicate its position, the board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player."
Earlier, India team manager Chetan Chauhan said he believed Harbhajan had been harshly treated.
"I told the match referee this is wrong. There was no conclusive evidence from the Aussie side," he said.
Source
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has told its players to stay in Sydney rather than travel to Canberra for a tour match on Thursday.
Harbhajan was banned for making a racist remark during their tempestuous defeat to Australia in the second Test.
He was found guilty of breaching the players' code of conduct.
The International Cricket Council held a four-hour hearing after the Test finished on Sunday, finally announcing their verdict deep into the night in Australia.
Australia's players had claimed that Harbhajan called Australia's Andrew Symonds a "monkey" during an on-field incident.
Match referee Mike Procter said he was satisfied Harbhajan had used the word - though neither of the two umpires heard the remarks - and that "he meant it to offend on the basis of Symonds' race or ethnic origin".
All-rounder Symonds, 32, is the only non-white player in the Australian side.
The BCCI's statement said: "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.
"To vindicate its position, the board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player."
Earlier, India team manager Chetan Chauhan said he believed Harbhajan had been harshly treated.
"I told the match referee this is wrong. There was no conclusive evidence from the Aussie side," he said.
Source