2008: Sri Lanka host India in a Test series. The battle between the neighbours is expected to spur a new dawn in cricket. It is world cricket’s first tryst with referrals in Tests. It is also India’s first brush with a referral system in Test cricket. But the experiment turns out to be a disaster, as India feel hard done by a majority of the decisions.
Sachin Tendulkar expresses his disappointment after the series, saying, “When I was there in Sri Lanka last time, I did not like the Umpires Referral system. There is still an element of uncertainty in the system.” But the most glaring reason for the referral system to end the series as a disaster is because it has made the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the world’s richest cricket board, skeptical.
2011: India tour England for a four-Test series. It is the only other series where the BCCI agreed to use the Decision Review System, albeit with terms and conditions applied. Leg-before-wicket calls were not up for reviews in the series, considering India is not sure of the Hawk-Eye’s ability to accurately predict the path of the ball after it hits the pad. Yet, there are controversial decisions galore. Former England captain Michael Vaughan kicks up a storm by claiming that VVS Laxman’s bat was coated with Vaseline, which is why hot-spot could not decipher a possible nick. Another attempt and another disaster means the BCCI washes its hands off the referral system in Test cricket.
2016 (1.0): Virat Kohli, who has taken over as India’s Test captain, opens his arms for the contentious system. Trials to reaffirm the accuracy of the system at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are successful. Anil Kumble, captain of the Indian team when the referral system was first deployed in Sri Lanka and the head coach of the side now, supports the system and persuades the BCCI to accept it on a trial basis.
The BCCI is bought by the idea of using Ultra-Edge cameras, which capture high-speed images. "Earlier, there was a possibility that the operator would have missed a delivery and hence an lbw appeal could have been missed," a BCCI release says. "Now, Hawk-Eye has developed the technology to record and save all images so that in case an operator fails to arm the tracking system, the images can be rewound and replayed."
Reunited...for now
The stage is set for the BCCI and the DRS (in its whole) to reunite after eight years. Most other countries have used the technology to iron out blunders during the span. But India are still anxious. And world cricket will be watching keenly. Another series defined by the troubles of the DRS will certainly push the Indian board to shut the door on DRS firmly. And the build-up is far from auspicious.
Kumar Dharmasena has been appointed as one of the two on-field umpires for the first two Tests. He has been ICC’s top umpire, but endured a forgettable time in Bangladesh last month. From the look of it, DRS and he did not get along too well.
Like players, umpires too can have bad days at work. Maybe Dharmasena suffered from a bunch of such days. In the Chittagong Test, he ruled Moeen Ali out on three instances in a space of six Shakib-Al-Hasan deliveries. And all of them were overturned. Out of his 16 decisions reviewed in the first Test, eight were reversed – the most in a single Test. Across the two Tests, 13 of his 27 decisions were overturned by DRS.
As a former off-spinner, Dharmasena would have dust bowls like the ones Bangladesh had prepared for England among his dream pitches to bowl on. As an umpire, the spate of reversed decisions showed he clearly did not enjoy the same affinity with those surfaces. Come the England series in India, he is only likely to get more such rank turners. And with India testing the DRS waters, he may want to start cherishing these surfaces as an umpire too.
Unlikely protagonist
But all the pessimism aside, DRS could propel India to their first series win over England in eight years. It could be the unlikely protagonist.
Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, was in charge of Sri Lanka when the referral system was first trialed in the 2008 series. Back then, towards the end of the series, he made a pertinent observation: “Everyone says the game is a batsman's game. I think the review system might be a little bit of a comeback for the bowlers. There will be more outs than not outs. All the bowlers should be pretty happy that the review system is in place.”
It is an observation coupled with England’s recent capitulation against Bangladeshi spin and the expected nature of the wickets that should give the Indian spinners sleepless nights bred out of excitement.
Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra may spin a web around the English batsmen. Most importantly, the DRS could spell doom for the visitors when Ashwin and Jadeja let their deliveries rip with a silly point, a forward short-leg, a gully and a slip all crowding in, on pitches that turn square.
The pacers may not be called upon too much, but in case they are asked to reverse the old ball, they could make do with a little bit of DRS assistance. Once the ball begins to reverse, it is difficult for batsmen and umpires alike. The batsmen may nick a delivery or miss one that crashes into their pads, but the umpires would often hand the men with the willow the benefit because they would be unsure of the shape on the ball. But with the DRS up for grabs, even the pacers can call for a party.
The system should suit the Indian pacers – Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami – more to start with. But once James Anderson joins the tourists, perhaps earlier than expected, the honours could be even again.
Even contest
That the DRS is likely to be a better friend to the bowlers than the batsmen, and in the process make Test cricket more of an even contest between bat and ball, it will provide relief to the game’s historically more favoured sons as well.
Virat Kohli may lead from the front with the bat this series with runs aplenty. But it is the DRS that may guard against a wrong call that could force a premature end to Kohli’s stint in the batting. For the optimistic Indian fan, DRS could be the shield the Indian captain can fall back upon as he begins the resurrection of his record against England.
"Generally in DRS series, we deliver 97% to 98% correct decisions," Geoff Allardice, ICC’s general manager of cricket, claimed. As long as the decisions do not sow further seeds of doubts in the BCCI’s mind, it will be a job well done. For now, all the eyeballs shift to Rajkot.
2016 (2.0): The first game that commences on Wednesday marks the debut of the DRS in Test cricket on Indian soil. By the time Christmas is upon us, the conclusions to the DRS experiment across the five matches would be available for all to judge. The system is set to test the English and favour the Indians, but crucially the majority of the decisions that come out of it should be correct. For, the BCCI’s reunion with the DRS is on the line.
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