Take more help of technology

Our preparation for the match was not ideal as our travel plans meant we couldn't get to the hotel until the afternoon before the game, writes Chris Cairns.

Our preparation for the match was not ideal as our travel plans meant we couldn't get to the hotel until the afternoon before the game.

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The ground is an hour from the hotel so what was scheduled as an afternoon practice became an evening practice.

Sometimes, there are benefits to be gained and in these situations positives should always be searched for. In this case practicing in the evening gave us the opportunity to practice under lights and assess the dew factor.

The stadium at Cuttack is an impressive arena and with the lights now being there to entertain the public I'm sure day-night fixtures will become a regular event.

The wicket for the match was devoid of any grass for this fixture and had the appearance of the more traditional Indian complexion.

Flat! No Sehwag to open the batting meant more pressure to score for Tendulkar and after a couple of boundaries his wicket, much to the relief of the team, was picked up by Kyle Mills.

Between losing wickets and a slow runrate early we felt a score of 220 was on the board and would represent an excellent effort in the field by the Black Caps.

Forever the unpredictable, One Day cricket threw forward a late innings rally as Khan pummelled 30 runs from 13 balls. This inflated India's efforts and got them out of jail really.

With our turn at the crease came some interesting developments regarding umpiring decisions with the dismissals of Harris and Vincent. We have many rules and regulations prohibiting us from making remarks about umpires but in this case my comments are to support the umpires.

The concentration and focus required to be an International umpire is very high. But what baffles me is that with the aid of technology we have at our fingertips these men in the middle, along with supreme concentration and focus, are supposed to possess a superhuman ability to hear tiny edges from the bat amongst noise that makes conversation to someone standing 20 cms away futile.

When there is a more serene environment one would expect an umpire to hear an edge from the bat. But in India with a full house baying for opposition's blood? Very difficult.

Herein, I bring forward that debate regarding technology and its place in our sport. But what I add to the debate is why not allow common sense some space to breathe life into potentially damaging situations.

What's wrong with the umpires on the field bringing the third umpire in on decisions, or the third umpire informing the on-field umpires? If there are decisions made that reflect a mistake why not remove the mistake by first consulting the third umpire about any doubts.

I also hear the debate about taking the game further away from it's roots by disarming umpires of their ability to think. If that's the case then there should only be real-time replays of appeals.

No replays? Try and sell that one to the TV production companies who invest millions. No, TV replays will be here forever and so will our umpires, so let's bring them together by allowing the third umpire to become an integral part of the modern game for everybody's benefit.

After the unfortunate start MacMillan and Styris showed real class in leading the fightback and winning the game for NZ. These two will be integral members of NZ teams in the future and if they can display more of what we saw against India, then NZ cricket is in good hands.

There is a very short turnaround for us before the next match against the Aussies, where we hope to encounter some more traditional Indian wickets but with a start time of 8.30, who knows?