India vs Sri Lanka: DRS Controversy Stokes up Storm in Kolkata - JPKee.com

New Delhi: If the ongoing India-Sri Lanka series was as high-profile as say Australia’s Test tour of India early this year, perhaps a couple of the incidents that came to pass would have kicked up more of a storm. So far, despite there being a couple of moderate, bordering on serious, controversial incidents in the first Test in Kolkata, the most that has come of it has been a couple of robust Twitter debates. The players, even the apparent aggrieved parties, have kept their toes in line and their mouths zipped, meaning the media hasn’t really had anything to work with to crank up the frenzy. As far as PR is concerned, it’s all well and good.

It is all in stark contrast to the ugly scenarios that played out after the second India-Australia Test in Bengaluru in February, when Steve Smith admitted to taking help from his dressing room ahead of a DRS decision, calling it a ‘brain-fade’. Virat Kohli saw it as anything but, and accusing his counterpart of cheating without actually saying the word. Kohli had said, “There’s a line that you don’t cross on the cricket field.”

Curiously, a very similar incident occurred at the Eden Gardens on Sunday (November 19). India, desperate to nip out Sri Lanka’s tail with Rangana Herath scoring frustrating runs, finally had a breakthrough when Mohammed Shami had his partner, Dilruwan Perera, trapped in front. Nigel Llong, the umpire, raised his finger, and the Indians began celebrating. But the Sri Lankan batsmen seemed undecided on the review. In fact, Perera was already walking back, when he looked up at his dressing room and then suddenly turned around to motion for a review. Replays suggested he was struck outside the line of off stump, and Llong’s decision was reversed.

The game carried on, without any hullaballoo. Afterwards, when Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Herath were asked about the incident in the press conference after stumps, the media struggled to extract anything meaningful from either party, both opting to hold a diplomatic stance.

“We are quiet because untill there is an official word about the incident, we cannot speak about it. If we talk about it, but match referee says that was fair, then it would be the wrong thing to do,” said Bhuvneshwar.

He added, “We didn’t pay attention to the incident. We were busy celebrating, giving high-fives, and later we watched that on the [giant screen], but we didn’t comment on it because nothing was confirmed from the match officials. So we cannot say anything.”

There were two obvious takeaways from this: One is that Kohli and co. are now well aware of the fallouts caused by alleging their opponents of misdeed – Kohli had even admitted after that Australia series that he could no longer call the Aussie players his friends – and don’t want a repeat of the furore. The other plausible reason is that as a contest, especially after the drubbing India handed to Sri Lanka while on tour in August, this series isn’t intense enough to stoke those fires. It is likely a mixture of both reasons.

Afterwards, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) released a clarification, stating: “Having mistakenly assumed that Sri Lanka were out of reviews, Dilruwan Perera had turned to leave the field when he heard Rangana Herath inquire from the on-field umpire Nigel Llong if Sri Lanka have any reviews left, to which Mr Llong answered in the affirmative.”

It isn’t the first time Sri Lanka have been involved in such a controversy though. During their recent Test against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, Kusal Mendis was walking back towards the dressing room after Richard Kettleborough adjudged him leg-before wicket to Mohammad Abbas, but stopped short and turned around asking for a review. In that instance, he was unsuccessful, the DRS verdict being umpire’s call.

It’s a messy situation. The rule books clearly state that, “If the on-field umpires believe that the captain or either batsman has received direct or indirect input emanating other than from the players on the field, then they may at their discretion decline the request for a Player Review. In particular, signals from the dressing room must not be given.” But the rule has not been enforced, irrespective of the clarification from SLC later.

On Saturday, there was another case of rules not being enforced, when Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain, seemed to breach the recently-instated fake-fielding rule. He chased a ball through the covers, and despite the ball passing him, put in the slide and prepared to throw, even though the ball was actually being gathered by the fielder further deep. Kohli wasn’t too impressed, holding up his hand, signalling five (penalty runs) when the cameras panned on him in the dressing room. None were given, and the matter was allowed to pass without consequence. Fake-fielding as a rule has been ridiculed, and rightly so, but the game’s law-keepers have done a shoddy job so far: they need to be more consistent enforcing said laws.

It is in situations like these that the International Cricket Council must step up and enforce changes, and perhaps amend the rules where necessary. Sanjay Manjrekar, on commentary for the India-Sri Lanka series, had a fair suggestion. He said that players be allowed to consult with the dressing room before deciding on reviews. It would do away with much of the confusion.

It is a suggestion the ICC should consider taking on board, before players have another reason to have a go at one another.

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Author - Vikash Kumar