Dhoni continues to express doubts about cricket's DRS

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:47 p.m. ET

foxsports

PERTH, Australia (AP) India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has suggested marginal decisions may be going against his team because it continues to reject the use of cricket's Decision Review System to avoid umpiring errors.

Dohni expressed fresh skepticism about the accuracy of DRS, though it might have saved his team from a five-wicket loss to Australia on Tuesday in the first one-day international in Perth.

India, alone among cricket playing nations, refuses to allow the DRS video reviews to be used in its matches. Had it been in use on Tuesday it might have revealed Australia batsman George Bailey gloved a catch to the wicketkeeper when the home team was 21-2, chasing India's 309-3.

Bailey, who was judged not out, went on to make a century in a 242-run partnership with Steve Smith which steered Australia to victory.

At the post-match news conference, Dhoni was asked whether he believed contentious umpiring decisions might go against India because of its rejection of the DRS. Dhoni replied, ''I may agree with you.''

He then asked another reporter, ''Are you indirectly saying that we don't get decisions in our favour because we don't use DRS?'' before going on to express personal doubts about the accuracy of the system.

''It could have (changed the outcome of the game),'' he said. ''But at the same time we need to push the umpires to make the right decision and you have to see how many 50-50 decisions doesn't go in our favour and it always happens.

''Then you have to take it, but I'm still not convinced about DRS.''

India has repeatedly stated its opposition to DRS, which allows teams to refer disputed decisions to the television umpire who can use a range of replays and technological aids to review the on-field umpire's call.

The governing body for cricket in India has said it will continue to reject the use of DRS until it is convinced the system is ''foolproof.''

Dhoni explained his personal opposition to the technology.

''I tell you what DRS should be; it should be the decision-making system,'' Dhoni said. ''If you see the deviations in DRS, there are quite a few deviations. Even the makers agree that there's a bit of deviation that can happen.

''Now you have to also take into account whether it was given not out or not. If it's given out, it needs to touch the stump, if it's not out then half the ball needs to hit the stump. That itself makes the variables too big, and in cricket every inch matters, it's millimetres that really matters.

''It has to be plain and simple. You don't want to put too many things in consideration. Now, for example, you take DRS in an lbw decision: What really changes everything is whether the decision was given in favor or not, and it can mean a margin of one inch, and in cricket that's very big.''