India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane admits teammates discussing Decision Review System, but hosts not sweating over it in build-up to tomorrow’s opening Test against England at Rajkot
Murali Vijay (right) leads Team India in a run during a training session at Saurashtra CA Stadium in Rajkot yesterday. Pic/Bipin Tankaria
Rajkot: After staying away from the Decision Review System (DRS) for so long, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally agreed to use it during the five-match India-England Test series starting in Rajkot tomorrow. The BCCI was reluctant to use the referral system citing that it wasn’t fool-proof.
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But thanks to the fully automated system approved by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which has cut down on all manual operations, the BCCI has agreed to give its go-ahead for its use in the current series.
Kumble's crucial role
Team India head coach Anil Kumble, who is also the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Committee chairman, too has played a big role in softening India’s stance on the system. ICC general manager Geoff Allardice has praised Kumble’s role in making India change its stand on DRS recently.
Now, as D-Day nears, DRS has been the talking point in both camps and also among ICC officials. “We’ve been discussing about DRS from the last series onwards and we have some plans. It is a completely new concept for all of us and we will have to wait and see how it goes. We will definitely spend some time discussing DRS, how it works and how we should approach it. But our main focus is to play good cricket here, DRS obviously comes later,” said Team India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane yesterday.
But there is a flip side to using these referrals too. One must be sure when to use it. India had a very bad experience when it was used on a trial basis for the first time against Sri Lanka in their backyard in 2008. The home team on that occasion got most of their referrals right but the Indians were not so lucky.
“The wicketkeeper plays a very important role in getting it right and as a slip fielder, I will also have that role to convey the message to the captain and bowler,” added Rahane.
DRS was officially launched during New Zealand’s home series against Pakistan in 2009. England seamer Stuart Broad said that ‘communication’ is very important here and he explained how: “We could have done well during our recent tour of Bangladesh, but we wasted a couple decisions. You have got to be quite clear with the communication. It’s a bit different with the ball spinning in India rather than it seaming and swinging in England.
“So, it is a bit hard to judge. I think we are looking for the wicketkeeper and the bowler to make stronger opinions on it and obviously Alastair Cook will take over and go with his gut feeling. But I strongly believe that it will play a big part in this series,” said Broad.
Ajinkya Rahane
'Enjoyed playing with DRS'
“One thing is sure, you are in the danger of being hit on the path because DRS brings in the opportunity to overturn decisions. So I really enjoyed playing with it. You get right decisions a lot of the time. But I think communication within the team is so vital for it,” added Broad.
Match referee Ranjan Madugalle, as the ICC representative, is also leave no stone unturned to ensure everything goes according to script and the BCCI doesn’t get another opportunity to cry foul in its usage. He was seen educating the technical people, who will be in charge of operations on the ground, when and how replays should be shown on the giant screens in the stadium.
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