No DRS for tri-series even as Australia, Lanka support it

Melbourne: There will be no respite for the umpires who will be officiating in the tri-series involving India, Australia and Sri Lanka as the Decision Review System (DRS) won`t be used during the 15-match tournament in February due to the refusal by the BCCI.

All the three teams need to agree to use the DRS in the tri-series but it`s Australia and Sri Lanka who are supporting the DRS but not India. "You can`t have a tournament where it applies to some games and not to others," a CA spokesman was quoted as saying in a leading daily. In the absence of the DRS, the ongoing first Test between India and Australia here had seen controversial decisions which have affected both the sides. The newspaper said, "There were two more debatable decisions --- from South African Marais Erasmus, bringing to five the number of rulings that could have been overturned had the system been in place for this series. Both sides were inconvenienced." "James Pattinson had a huge leg before shout against Ravichandran Ashwin turned down despite Channel Nine`s Eagle Eye tracking technology indicating the ball would have hit leg stump. Pattinson twice asked Erasmus `what was it missing`?" the newspaper stated. According to the newspaper, India were also on the receiving end when Zaheer Khan had his lbw appeal against Ricky Ponting rejected. "Bowling from around the wicket, the left-armer struck Ponting in line, according to Eagle Eye, and would have hit his middle stump three-quarters of the way up. Had Ponting, then on 15, been given out Australia would have slumped to 5-51, but instead the former captain continued his recent resurgence with a vital 60." PTI