Case 1: Feb 27, 2011; India vs England, Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.
In the 25th over of the innings, Ian Bell goes down to play a paddle sweep off Yuvraj Singh. He misses the line and a leg before appeal is overruled. India captain MS Dhoni asks for a review. Replays show the ball will hit middle and leg. But, third umpire asks the on-field umpire Billy Bowden to take a call as the batsman is forward by 2.5 metres from the stumps.
Result: Not out
Case 2: March 4, 2011; New Zealand vs Zimbabwe, Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera.
Zimbabwe skipper Elton Chigumbura dances down the wicket (more than 2.5 metres) but misses Daniel Vettori’s delivery and is rapped on the pad. On field umpire gives it out. Batsman asks for a review of the decision. Replays show that the ball is going on to hit the leg stump. Like in the Ian Bell-episode, third umpire asks the on field umpire to take his call.
Result: Out
The supporters of the Decision Review System (DRS) in cricket should ponder over these two cases. How reliable is the technology if two similar situations can produce different results?
It seems like this case will only strengthen Dhoni’s claims that adulterating technology with human judgement beats the very purpose the system is there for.
What is sauce for goose should be sauce for gander too. If Bell was not out when a much straighter ball hit his pads, when he was 2.5 metres from the wicket, Chigumbura, much further down the track, must also be not out.
It is not likely that if Chigumbura was not given out, the match would have seen a different outcome. New Zealand thrashed the minnows in this Group A match by 10 wickets.
Batting first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe could only manage 162 as Tim Southee (3/29), and Kyle Mills (2/29), playing his first match, struck good form. In reply, New Zealand openers Martin Guptill (86) and Brendon McCullum (76) did not trouble the rest of their batsmen as they overhauled the target.
About Chigumbura’s lbw decision, both the captains played down the controversy. Chigumbura said, “I was told that if a batsman is out more than 2.5 metres and the ball is going to hit the middle stump, then it is out. It is one of those (decisions) that goes against you. Sometimes, it favours you. But end of the day, it’s umpire’s decision. It is a good system.”
New Zealand captain Vettori said, “I guess they (umpires) had a very good day. They get close calls but not today. They got everything right,” Vettori said.
While the two captains that played the match are not complaining, it remains to be seen what Dhoni makes of the whole incident.
Scorecard: Zimbabwe: B Taylor lbw b Styris 44, C Coventry run out 0, T Taibu lbw b Southee 8, C Ervine
c Ryder b Mills 11, E Chigumbura lbw b Vettori 1, R Chakabva c Taylor b Vettori 0, G Lamb run out 18, P Utseya b Southee 36, G Cremer c B McCullum b Mills 22, R Price lbw b Southee 11, T Panyangara not out 4
Extras: (LB4, W3) 7; Total: (all out, 46.2 overs) 162; FoW: 1-2, 2-27, 3-42, 4-46, 5-46, 6-86, 7-89, 8-122,
9-157, 10-162; Bowling: K Mills 10-0-29-2 (W1), T Southee 9.2-3-29-3 (W2), H Bennett 8-0-37-0, D Vettori 10-3-25-2, S Styris 4-0-13-1, N McCullum 3-0-15-0, J Ryder 2-0-10-0
New Zealand: M Guptill n.o 86, B McCullum n.o 76
Extras: (LB1, W1, NB2) 4; Total: (For 0 wickets; 33.3 overs) 166; Bowling: T Panyangara 5.3-0-42-0 (NB1),
R Price 7-0-23-0, P Utseya 6-0-23-0 (NB1), G Lamb 5-0-18-0, G Cremer 7-0-38-0, E Chigumbura 3-0-21-0 (W1)
In the 25th over of the innings, Ian Bell goes down to play a paddle sweep off Yuvraj Singh. He misses the line and a leg before appeal is overruled. India captain MS Dhoni asks for a review. Replays show the ball will hit middle and leg. But, third umpire asks the on-field umpire Billy Bowden to take a call as the batsman is forward by 2.5 metres from the stumps.
Result: Not out
Case 2: March 4, 2011; New Zealand vs Zimbabwe, Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera.
Zimbabwe skipper Elton Chigumbura dances down the wicket (more than 2.5 metres) but misses Daniel Vettori’s delivery and is rapped on the pad. On field umpire gives it out. Batsman asks for a review of the decision. Replays show that the ball is going on to hit the leg stump. Like in the Ian Bell-episode, third umpire asks the on field umpire to take his call.
Result: Out
The supporters of the Decision Review System (DRS) in cricket should ponder over these two cases. How reliable is the technology if two similar situations can produce different results?
It seems like this case will only strengthen Dhoni’s claims that adulterating technology with human judgement beats the very purpose the system is there for.
What is sauce for goose should be sauce for gander too. If Bell was not out when a much straighter ball hit his pads, when he was 2.5 metres from the wicket, Chigumbura, much further down the track, must also be not out.
It is not likely that if Chigumbura was not given out, the match would have seen a different outcome. New Zealand thrashed the minnows in this Group A match by 10 wickets.
Batting first after winning the toss, Zimbabwe could only manage 162 as Tim Southee (3/29), and Kyle Mills (2/29), playing his first match, struck good form. In reply, New Zealand openers Martin Guptill (86) and Brendon McCullum (76) did not trouble the rest of their batsmen as they overhauled the target.
About Chigumbura’s lbw decision, both the captains played down the controversy. Chigumbura said, “I was told that if a batsman is out more than 2.5 metres and the ball is going to hit the middle stump, then it is out. It is one of those (decisions) that goes against you. Sometimes, it favours you. But end of the day, it’s umpire’s decision. It is a good system.”
New Zealand captain Vettori said, “I guess they (umpires) had a very good day. They get close calls but not today. They got everything right,” Vettori said.
While the two captains that played the match are not complaining, it remains to be seen what Dhoni makes of the whole incident.
Scorecard: Zimbabwe: B Taylor lbw b Styris 44, C Coventry run out 0, T Taibu lbw b Southee 8, C Ervine
c Ryder b Mills 11, E Chigumbura lbw b Vettori 1, R Chakabva c Taylor b Vettori 0, G Lamb run out 18, P Utseya b Southee 36, G Cremer c B McCullum b Mills 22, R Price lbw b Southee 11, T Panyangara not out 4
Extras: (LB4, W3) 7; Total: (all out, 46.2 overs) 162; FoW: 1-2, 2-27, 3-42, 4-46, 5-46, 6-86, 7-89, 8-122,
9-157, 10-162; Bowling: K Mills 10-0-29-2 (W1), T Southee 9.2-3-29-3 (W2), H Bennett 8-0-37-0, D Vettori 10-3-25-2, S Styris 4-0-13-1, N McCullum 3-0-15-0, J Ryder 2-0-10-0
New Zealand: M Guptill n.o 86, B McCullum n.o 76
Extras: (LB1, W1, NB2) 4; Total: (For 0 wickets; 33.3 overs) 166; Bowling: T Panyangara 5.3-0-42-0 (NB1),
R Price 7-0-23-0, P Utseya 6-0-23-0 (NB1), G Lamb 5-0-18-0, G Cremer 7-0-38-0, E Chigumbura 3-0-21-0 (W1)
