Things to look forward to from DRS
Decision Review System (DRS) in cricket has been the most debated point since its introduction in 2008. It was designed with the sole purpose of reviewing controversial decisions made by on-field umpires, but unfortunately, things became more complex since it was introduced in international cricket.
DRS has gone through a number of changes in the last few years and convinced all but the BCCI to put it into use, which meant that DRS wasn't used in any bilateral series involving India.
Recently, ICC approved the changes to DRS playing conditions as recommended by the ICC cricket committee and accordingly made the presentation to BCCI as well, which resulted in BCCI accepting the review system for the upcoming series against England, albeit on trial basis.
We look at the things to look forward to from new DRS:
#1 Improved ball tracking technology
More batsmen are likely to be adjudged leg before when the opposition captain reviews a not-out decision under the new DRS rules. The protection given to the decision of on-field umpire's decision – 'the umpire's call' – has been reduced.
The point of impact of the ball hitting the pad has been increased on either side of the stumps by 1.9 cms which means that the zone of impact now would be from the edge of the stumps, which was previously from middle of the off stump to middle of the leg stump. Also, the zone of the ball tracking projection hitting the stumps has been increased.
As per the new rules, for the not out decisions to be overturned, the ball tracking projection needs to show more than half the ball hitting the stumps between outside the off stump and outside of the leg stump. This is different to the previous rule which was between middle of the off stump and middle of the leg stump.
In both the cases, i.e., the point of impact of ball hitting the pad and the ball tracking projection of ball hitting the stumps, the bottom of the bails limit has not changed.
This rule change has already had a great impact in the recently concluded Test series between England and Bangladesh where a lot of decisions were overturned, most of them being lbws.