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Umpiring glitches: Of India’s own making?
On Monday, both India and Australia found themselves on the receiving end of some dubious decisions. But with India opposed to the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS), there was no way to have a second look at the decisions.
On Monday, both India and Australia found themselves on the receiving end of some dubious decisions. But with India opposed to the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS), there was no way to have a second look at the decisions.
While Australia could have benefited in the Michael Hussey lbw decision, the hosts wouldn’t have lost Gautam Gambhir. The batsman had nicked the ball on to his pads but was adjudged leg before. Besides, there was considerable doubt about an Ishant Sharma delivery that was called a no-ball.
India’s perhaps the only team that’s still not convinced about the merits of UDRS. It has resisted every move of the International Cricket Council (ICC) to make it a mandatory part of the game. Perhaps, the experience they had with the system in 2008 Sri Lanka series is still fresh in their minds. The system was introduced for the first time in that series, and India had got most of their referrals wrong.
Ishant Sharma conceded the Gambhir decision hurt them badly, but there was nothing they could do about it. “That is part and parcel of the game. So instead of thinking about it, we are concentrating more on what’s in our hands,” said Ishant.
On Sunday, Rahul Dravid said he was open to the use of technology if it’s foolproof and the ICC could ensure uniformity in the equipment used. “I believe if the technology is foolproof, there’s no harm in going for it,” he said.
