M.S.Dhoni explains his reservations about Decision Review System
On the back of some poor umpiring decisions that have gone against India in the ongoing tour of Australia, there have been reports that BCCI is considering a more lax stance on their opposition to the Decision Review System. It was reported that they are willing to forgo their demand of 100% accuracy if a specific concern is addressed – that of the umpire's-call in lbw decisions.
Shikhar Shawan, Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha were victims to umpiring howlers in the Adelaide Test, while Chetashwar Pujara and Ravichandran Ashwin got bad calls in the recently concluded Brisbane Test.
Frequently at receiving end of 50-50 decisions
In a press conference on Saturday, Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his stand on the matter, “It is a very interesting question, but what is more important is that there are a lot of 50-50 decisions that are not going in our favour. We are at the receiving end more often than not. And what happens in DRS, even when the DRS is around, those decisions won't go in our favour.”
The Indian captain seemed to voice a fear that the DRS would only be used to back up the umpire’s call already made.
“Because if the umpire has given out, you take DRS, it is still out, because DRS is often used to justify the decision given by the umpire. What is important is to use DRS to give the right decision irrespective of whether the umpire has given it out or not out.
“There are a lot of ways to use the DRS, but this is something that needs to be put in a specific way. That it doesn't really matter if the umpire has given out or not out, if the ball hits the stumps [in projection] it is out; if half the ball hits the stumps you are out."
Empathy with empires
However, Dhoni did not voice any specific complaint against the level of umpiring seen in the series. Sunil Gavaskar has recently gone on board saying that the Indian team should stop offering excuses for their 4th day collapse at the Gabba.
Asked to comment on the umpiring, Dhoni said, “It can certainly improve but also it is very tough for those two individuals. Not to forget it has been very hot. They stand there for five days. We come back. Apart from lunch and tea they don't get any break. When we bat they are still on the field. When Australia bat they are still on the field.
"It is tough on them, but I always try to tell them, “Try to be consistent through the Test. There have been quite a few 50-50 calls that we are on the receiving end of. Irrespective of whether there is DRS or not, we will be on the receiving end according to the decision given by the umpire."