Cricket: DRS a must but it can be made better

Brendon McCullum. Photo / Getty Images

Picture this. New Zealand are nine down in the final over of the second test at the Basin Reserve, a howling southerly is blowing and Zaheer Khan coaxes an edge off Trent Boult to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The bowler and slips cordon hear it and appeal but the umpire doesn't. Boult survives, New Zealand draw the test, and possibly win the series.

Why would you not employ the Decision Review System?

The key reason for India's reticence is predictive path lbws. Perhaps scrap that element; it's impossible to gauge fully whether a ball will cannon into the stumps after hitting the pad. No computer system can predict its probability to the point of foolproof, given the varying deterioration of pitches and balls during a game.

Surely if the International Cricket Council can work out a formula to divvy up revenues between now and 2023, this issue should be a doddle. Yet the stalemate endures in bilateral series with India.

Players can't fix it and shoulder arms when the topic is broached.

"Actually I can't comment. If I could, then I would," said an apologetic Murali Vijay.

"It's a tough one with pros and cons," ventured New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum in front of Indian television cameras.

"It [the DRS] has a good place in the game but I also like the human element a series without the DRS brings, where you take the good with the bad."

A system which solely used reliable technology like Hot Spot and Snickometer must surely be beneficial, especially if you keep it to one challenge across all formats so teams aren't tempted to gamble.

The howler has to be bona fide.

India hasn't had the greatest of DRS records.

Their initial attempt trialling it in a 2008 test with Sri Lanka saw them get one in 20 calls correct; Sri Lanka got 11 in 27.

Player feedback generated a frown on the system from India's board.

Yesterday wouldn't have been an ideal example to massage frustrations.

There were concerns Cheteshwar Pujara might have hit the ground rather than the ball - Snicko indicated he had hit it - just as there were when the ball kissed the thumb of Virat Kohli's glove via the grill of his helmet into Peter Fulton's hands.

Alternatively, think of Mohammed Shami missing the plumb lbw of Fulton on the opening day.

Perhaps umpires could have sole control over lbw referrals but it would fragment the system.

Simplicity should rule.

Anything must be better than the denial of a test victory on the basis of human error.