The all-important
CSK Vs DC match is now at Vizag .. Dhoni is credited with many things – his inimitable
style of keeping, big hitting, last over finish, helicopter shot, showing no
emotions, running between the wickets, lightning stumpings, run-out effected
without seeing the stumps, removing a single glove to effectively throw at the
stumps .. .. .. and – his near flawless reading of DRS – demonstrated today yet again !
The Umpire Decision
Review System (UDRS or DRS) is a technology-based system used in cricket to
assist the match officials with their decision-making. With the implementation of DRS, On-field umpires may choose to consult with
the third umpire (known as an Umpire Review), and players may request that the
third umpire consider a decision of the on-field umpires (known as a Player
Review). The technological aids to this
are : television replays, technology
that tracks the path of the ball and predicts what it would have done,
microphones to detect small sounds made as the ball hits bat or pad, and
infra-red imaging to detect temperature changes as the ball hits bat or pad. It is another
matter that many a times, it is found that Umpire had not called no-ball, but
is found later on review !!
While on-field Test
match umpires have been able to refer some decisions to a third umpire since
Nov 1992, the formal DRS system to add Player Reviews was first used in a Test
match in 2008, first used in an ODI in January 2011, and first used in a
Twenty20 International in October 2017.
When it
was implemented on trial basis in the Test series between Sri Lanka and India –
our swashbuckler Virender Sehwag was the first victim. Anil KUmble was the Indian
Captain. Dhoni opted for rest – and in
those three Tests, India failed miserably in DRS with a solitary successful review; Sri Lanka in contrast had 11.
Today at
Vizag – over 2.3 Deepak Chahar to Prithvi Shaw – pulls and misses and struck on
thigh. Umpire says not out – Chahar runs
towards Dhoni. Captain Cool thinks a
split second, signals DRS review ..
Prithvi is not tall – and the decision is reversed after seeing the TV
inputs – commentators jumped the gun to say that perhaps Dhoni erred with the length
– not to be – ball appears to have hit the stumps and review successful.
India was painted
as a villain for fighting and opposing the DRS - …… for long Cricketing World was fretting
that India is the lone opposer to the system change and was stalling the same flexing its muscle ! but when in Ashes in 2012 some decisions went against Aussies - their
Vice Captain, Coach were all blaming technology – specifically the DRS. When the pressure was intense, ICC announced
that the umpires made a total of 72
decisions, which is well above the average (49) for a DRS Test match. The
umpiring team, made up of Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus, was
assessed to have made seven errors during the match, out of which three were
uncorrected decisions and four decisions corrected using the DRS. The three
decisions that were marked as uncorrected errors included one against Trott
when a correct lbw decision (not out against the bowling of Mitchell Starc) was
overturned. Australia's vice-captain
Brad Haddin voiced that that decision
referrals should be taken out of the hands of players and left as a tool of
international umpires.
o
Ian Bell’s first test century
against was courtesy the referral
system. He was given out on 67, insisted
that he had not touched the ball, on a referral the decision was over turned. On 16th June 12 in the 1st ODI at The Rose
Bowl, he scored 126 again courtesy UDRS.
He later confessed having nicked the ball behind when on 23, but
Decision Review System (DRS) gave him the benefit of the doubt, and allowed him
to fire England to victory. In WC 2011, Dhoni made a referral. the giant screen made Bell realise his defeat
and made him walking – but Billy Bowden
gave him not out and struck to his decision. That time it was the 2.5m rule
o
In Mar 2017 at Bangalore, Steve
Smith took the help of dressing room in asking for DRS and ascribed it to be a
brainfade.
o
In another instance - Bangladesh’s first Test against Sri Lanka in
Galle. The astonishing event happened on the second ball of the fifth day with
Sarkar batting on 53. He failed to judge the line of a delivery from right-arm
medium pacer Asela Gunaratne as the ball clipped the top of his off stump. With
Bangladesh chasing a massive target of 457, opener Sarkar’s
wicket was crucial and he bowled everyone including the commentators by his
asking for a review after being bowled !!
Thala Dhoni stands
out !
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
10th May
2019 @ 20.30 hrs.
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