Marnus rapt with a festive DRS gift

DOUBTS over the Decision Review System have surfaced on Boxing Day again, although concerns that the MCG cameras are compromised have missed the stumps.

Exactly 12 months after Australia captain Tim Paine joked Ross Taylor “must know the bloke in the truck” after the Kiwi batsman won a reprieve it was Marnus Labuschagne who received a late Christmas gift.

The No.3 batsman appeared to challenge Ravi Ashwin’s lbw appeal in the hope the ball may have glanced his glove before striking him on the pads.

Labuschagne attempted a sweep shot but missed the ball.

But instead ball tracker showed the spinner’s delivery climbing over the stumps.

“I was definitely excited when I saw it was bouncing over,” Labuschagne said.

“The way (Ashwin) was bowling he was getting heaps of bounce when he was bowling more over spin as well. My job is to just make an assessment on the field and I did that and I was lucky enough to get away with that one.”

Victorian legend Brad Hodge – who knows the MCG better than anyone – thought he must’ve been at the wrong ground.

“I’m not sure that’s possible. Am I at a different venue?” Hodge said on radio. “That’s bizarre. I’m stunned, and I’m sure India would be even more stunned. They looked frustrated now. The DRS was meant to get rid of howlers and my gut feel is that’s cannoning in (to the stumps).”

Labuschagne was on 26 at the time. He made 48.

The DRS cameras cannot be accommodated in the members’ stand and so they are instead positioned in commentary box spaces. While that isn’t ideal for broadcasters, there is absolutely no issue with the accuracy at the MCG.