DRS DEBATE IN KOHLI’S DISMISSAL

GALLE : Despite cricket boards agreeing to use the Decision Review System, questions over its consistency still remain. They surfaced on the first day of the India-Sri Lanka Test series, in fact the very first time a team referred a decision.

Virat Kohli was ruled out caught behind by TV umpire Rod Tucker after Sri Lanka captain Rangana Herath sought a review of the original decision by the on-field umpire. But it was not a straightforward call. The TV umpire had to hold up play for more than five minutes as he repeatedly studied each frame of Kohli playing the hook shot to a short delivery by pacer Nuwan Pradeep. The TV umpire’s challenge was he could only depend on the UltraEdge technology as there is no HotSpot for this series, probably because it’s too expensive.

In a frame tweeted by cricket.com.au, there is the slightest of spike at the moment the ball passes Kohli’s edge. Even after the giant screen flashed ‘out’, Kohli checked with the umpire what the decision was before walking back to the pavilion.