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Former India batsman VVS Laxman has urged Virat Kohli to be more judicious while taking reviews. Laxman pointed out that poor DRS decisions can even cost teams Test matches, as Australia experienced at Headingley during the 2019 Ashes.
Kohli wasted two reviews in quick succession on Day 2 of the Lord’s Test in his attempt to see the back of England captain Joe Root. Mohammed Siraj was the bowler on both occasions as India went for lbw reviews. On both instances, the ball was clearly missing the stumps.
Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo, Laxman expressed disappointment at the manner in which Kohli took the reviews. Terming DRS as a very important element in Test match cricket, he opined:
“I can never forget how Australia lost that Test match in Headingley. If Tim Paine wouldn’t have taken that review off Nathan Lyon against Jack Leach, when the ball was clearly pitching outside the leg stump… He wasted the review and, immediately, in the next over, Ben Stokes was plumb in front of the wicket (but the umpire gave it not out and Australia did not have reviews left). They could have won that Test match.”
Laxman further felt there is too much commotion around Kohli at the time of discussing reviews and urged the Indian captain to sort things out. He stressed:
“One has to very careful as to how and when to use it (the reviews) as it is very critical. I just feel that it became very chaotic, everyone gathering together and that just adds to the confusion. The bowler is going to have the emotions. He feels that each and every ball that is hitting the pads (is hitting the stumps) or every edge is a wicket."
Laxman concluded:
"That is where the captain has to be very calm. He has to have trust on a couple of people, who have got a very clear vision of the action that is taking place and then take a calm and composed decision. You cannot be emotional when you are taking the reviews. These reviews can cost you a Test match as we have seen at Headingley.”
It’s crazy when you have got Siraj-Kohli combination for reviews: Steve Harmison
Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison agreed with Laxman that India need to improve the manner in which they go about taking reviews. He pointed out:
“There’s something happening every time. It’s crazy when you have got that combination (Kohli-Siraj), then you have got Rishabh Pant in the middle of it who, it just seemed to me, that wasn’t even watching. You can see Kohli looking at him and going - ‘was that straight?’ And Pant might turnaround and say, ‘I don’t know, I wasn’t watching. It didn’t come to me’.”
Having survived the lbw shouts, Root stuck to his task and remained unbeaten on 48. England ended Day 2 at Lord’s on 119 for 3, responding to India’s first-innings total of 364.
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