Skipper Tim Paine conceded that he and Australia have had a ‘nightmare’ with regards to the Decision Review System (DRS) in the Ashes after England consolidated their advantage with the bat in the final Test at the Oval.
Paine and Australia incorrectly failed to call for a review on two separate occasions on Day Three with the hosts ultimately swelling their second-innings total to 313-8.
Joe Denly and Jos Buttler were the batsmen to profit from Australia’s DRS-shy ways at the Oval with the former registering a career-best 94 while the latter struck 47 to add to his first-innings knock of 70.
It follows from what has been a disastrous tour for Australia in terms of DRS with their overall report-card now standing at six successful reviews out of a possible 32.
“I’m going to do some umpiring school when I get home. I’ll enroll in a Level 3 umpire course and see if can get them right,” Paine was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“I’m getting it wrong. I don’t know what else to say. We’re having a ‘mare. We’ve got it wrong. We’re not deliberately getting together and saying ‘gee, I reckon that’s out Gaz (Nathan Lyon). Do you want to refer it?’ ‘Nah, let’s let him keep batting’.
A career-high 94 for Joe Denly.
“We’re getting it wrong. It happens. It’s fast. It’s a tough job.”
Australia’s DRS errors means they are now staring at the prospect of a daunting final innings chase in the fifth Test with England’s overall second-innings lead standing at a commanding 382.
While those costly misses threaten to spoil Ashes 2019 campaign, it has given Paine a newfound appreciation for umpires.
“As I said I’ve said throughout the whole Test series, I’ve got a new respect for umpiring, particularly in Test cricket, because it’s a bloody hard job,” said Paine.
“For years players have whinged about umpiring and now we’ve got it in our own hands a little bit and we’re finding that it’s hard.”
