The decision review system [DRS] came under the spotlight in the second Test between India and Australia on Tuesday.
There were a number of close calls during a fiercely-contested encounter and the flash point came on day four when Steve Smith was adjudged to be leg-before-wicket [LBW] off the bowling of Umesh Yadav.
As is the case usually, Smith went to the non-striker Peter Handscomb to ask his opinion on whether he should review the decision. There was some indecision before the Australian skipper decided to look at the dressing room.
That is something that is not allowed according to the rules, and umpire Nigel Llong and India captain Virat Kohli were quick to point that out. Llong had to calm Kohli down as the Delhi batsman was clearly not happy with the incident.
Speaking after the match, Kohli alleged that it wasn’t the first time that the Australian team had looked for help from their dressing room for DRS in this match.
“I saw that happening two times when I was batting out there. I pointed it out to the umpire as well, that it’s happened twice, that I’ve seen their players looking upstairs for confirmation and that’s why the umpire was at him,” said Kohli.
“You know when he turned back, the umpire knew exactly what’s going on because we observed that. We told the match referee also, and the umpires, that they’ve [Australian players] been doing that for the last three days and this has to stop because there’s a line that you don’t cross on the cricket field.
“Sledging and playing against the opponents is different, but I don’t want to mention the word, but it falls in that bracket. I would never do something like that on the cricket field.”
so virat kohli has played his best knock of the series in the press conference room #INDvsAUS
— Gaurav Kalra (@gauravkalra75) March 7, 2017
Smith called the incident “a bit of a brain fade”, but Kohli wasn’t having it.
“Honestly, I mean if someone makes a mistake while batting, for me personally that’s a brain fade,” Kohli said.
“The way I left the ball in Pune, you know, getting hit on the off-stump. That was a brain fade. But if something is going on for three days, then that’s not a brain fade. It’s as simple as that.”
India defeated Australia by 75 runs in the second Test and the two sides will now move to Ranchi for the third Test which begins on March 16.
