Jonny: Sort out this DRS jumble
JONNY BAIRSTOW has savaged the Decision Review System, voicing England’s displeasure at the lack of uniformity around the world and the differences in interpretation that saw the tourists suffer twice on day three. Firstly Mason Crane was deemed to have overstepped when trapping Usman Khawaja lbw on 132. The leg-spinner, 20, eventually dismissed Khawaja on 171 for his first wicket on debut but might have been celebrating earlier had third umpire Sundaram Ravi given the marginal no-ball call in his favour in the final over before lunch. Replays suggested part of Crane’s front foot landed fractionally behind the line but Ravi moved the footage on one frame before determining otherwise.
England were also denied the wicket of Mitchell Marsh in the final session after the Australian successfully reviewed his lbw dismissal to Tom Curran.
While the call by Ravi was right — the ball was missing leg stump — the Indian reached it in entirely the wrong way, claiming Marsh had edged the ball because of a small spike on Snicko, despite replays showing daylight between bat and ball.
Bairstow said: ‘It’s important moving forward — not just for England or Australia but for all teams — that there’s clarity on the actual process and how the review system should work.
‘That’s getting Hawk-Eye matching up to the balls that are coming down from the TV feed, getting Snicko right, because it can pick up feet that are moving and scratching around the crease, as well as everything else.
‘We know Hot Spot doesn’t pick up every single edge because otherwise you’d just use Hot Spot all the whole way through. You wouldn’t need Snicko.
‘We need to make sure the technology that is being used is of the highest standard because it’s people’s careers and livelihoods that you’re messing with.’