50 days to go: India’s unknown enemy is UDRS
The World Cup is now just 50 days away and with each passing day one can’t help get the feeling that India will be the favorites to bag the title after 28 long years of wait. That is if the team can get past their biggest challengers. Sorry folks. We are not talking about any team but the unknown enemy, UDRS.
India’s reluctance to use the umpiring review system is a well-known and well documented fact. What is equally well known is the proposed big use of UDRS in the upcoming mega event and India, we all know certainly do not start as favorites in that department. If anything, India are expected to severely struggle using the referral system since they are not trained to do so. Recently, many were talking about the need to have a toss coach and/or to send someone other than Dhoni to the middle before the spin of the coin. Agreed toss is about the rub of the green of which UDRS is not about and we have seen that in recent days.
The Ashes was a classic example. Both Australia and England certainly looked well versed with the usage of UDRS. Alastair Cook was a great example in the MCG test. When field umpire Aleem Dar gave him out, he wasted not even a single second in signalling for a TV referral. This was because Cook was 100% sure he had got an inside edge to the ball. Even in the Durban test, South Africans were bitterly disappointed at not being able to use the UDRS since the dismissals of AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher certainly looked doubtful and would have been reversed if the TV was used.
The point here is not whether UDRS is good or not. It is about learning something which you have to follow whether you like it or not. This is like getting a child admitted to a school. You will face resistance from the kid on the first couple of days but that doesn’t mean you stop the admission. The World Cup is round the corner and the ICC has made it clear that the UDRS will be used.
This certainly leaves India in a tight spot since none of the players actually know how to use it effectively. It is one thing to use a referral system and something else to use it to one’s advantage. India had an extremely bitter pill to swallow the only time they used it. That was during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2008. India’s success rate with UDRS in that tour was less than 10% while Sri Lanka enjoyed a success rate of nearly 70%. We all know the outcome of the series. It was plain and simple. India just didn’t know how to use the UDRS.
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Usage of UDRS is an art by itself
Dhoni’s boys urgently need orientation in this subject. The current system of referral is all the more exciting since it gives a team a few seconds to ponder, discuss with his partner(s) and take a call whether to go for a referral. Many things can happen in those few seconds. For example, if it is a batsman unsure about an LBW dismissal given by the umpire, then the non-striker is in a great position to help out his striker. In this case, the non-striker’s role comes into play. He is not only expected to be vigilant about the possibility of a run but also keep an eye on the ball as it strikes the batsman’s pads. It puts that extra pressure on the non-striker. And if he has not watched the ball closely, the team might end up missing the trick and eventually improper use of UDRS can happen.
In the second instance, if the batsman is sure he has or hasn’t nicked it; he can go for a referral on his own. In this, the batsman needs to be absolutely sure that has happened. There is no specific training needed here as it is about a batsman’s ‘feel’.
For the fielding side, UDRS is an art by itself. Remember, there are only two unsuccessful reviews allowed per team during an inning. Usage of UDRS in ODI cricket will be radically different from the longer version. Power plays come into play in ODI cricket and they constitute the best time for a fielding side to take wickets. Now, the captain must be absolutely sure when to use UDRS in the match. The dividing line between bravery and stupidity in usage can be misleadingly thin.
When a decision goes against a fielding side, the players on the field need to be trained on micro issues like looking at the reaction of batsman and non-striker when a decision has been given and try and pick up something from there before going for a review. The availability of a few seconds before asking for a review gives them the leeway to do so.
UDRS may look simple on paper but mastering the art may give the team that extra edge needed to excel in high octane encounters. Just imagine if the situation arises where in a wrong decision is made in the final over of the World Cup final and the team has run out of reviews due to unnecessary usage. It can happen as it is a practical possibility in the modern day game where technology tends to have the final say in the proceedings. India’s reluctance to UDRS must end. Coach Gary Kirsten has done wonders with the team on many issues. He must now take on the unknown enemy and make sure India do not allow technology to spoil their cup of life. After all, this is India’s best chance to start as favorites and do justice to that tag.
Join the discussion
Will lack of UDRS knowledge hurt India in the upcoming World Cup?
- Yes
- No
To come up with your views, sign in below and respond
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