The 2022-23 Ranji Trophy final between Bengal and Saurashtra in Kolkata is set to have a “full version” of the Decision Review System (DRS). Since the quarter-finals, several teams have demanded such a provision.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, it will be a change from the “limited DRS” system utilised by the BCCI in the 2019-20 season’s semi-final and final. The match begins on Thursday.
“It’s good news that it’s (DRS) being implemented in the final. I feel it should be there in all matches that are being telecast live. All teams come through the league stages, and we have seen many mistakes,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary as saying.
“It would be good if all live matches have DRS. But our focus is on the match. I hope we won’t need any assistance from DRS and the field umpires will make the right decisions. But, yes, it will give an opportunity to the batters and bowlers,” he added.
In the 2018-19 season, the board implemented a watered-down version in response to repeated incidences of improper umpiring. Most notably, the absence of DRS became a point of contention during a contentious Ranji Trophy 2018-19 semi-final, when Karnataka claimed that Cheteshwar Pujara was given a reprieve early in his innings due to umpiring errors. Pujara then batted unbeaten in the fourth innings to help Saurashtra reach the final.
When the BCCI finally implemented it in the 2019-20 season, the lack of ball-tracking led to a number of incorrect judgements. Without the such a rule, the third umpire had no authority to overturn an on-field decision if the sole question was whether the ball would strike the stumps or not. The fielding team was not permitted to appeal a lbw verdict if the on-field umpire believed the ball would have missed the stumps. As a result, some people suggested at the time that the method was far from foolproof.
“Ultimately it’s the ball-tracker that leads the third umpire to the decision. If the ball-tracker is not there, it’s not foolproof at all. But I don’t think this particular system is for lbw decisions. The only thing it’s intended for is nicks that are sometimes not heard by umpires, something as blatant as Pujara’s dismissal in the semi-final last season. So, in that sense, I think it worked pretty well,” former Mumbai captain Amol Muzumdar had said.
Instances like this have now compelled the BCCI to include the entire DRS for a vital game. As a result, only a few matches are televised over a long domestic first-class season, and the lack of broadcast infrastructure in several stadiums makes implementing technology for all teams nearly difficult. (ANI)
