India vs Australia, 1st Test, Day 3: 5 talking points

#4 India’s woes with the DRS continue

KL Rahul needs to rethink about the decisions he is making on the shot-selection as well as with the DRS

KL Rahul had a very successful year in 2016. But come 2017, he has struggled not only with the bat but also with his decisions regarding reviews of umpire’s decisions. The right-hander was the stand-out Indian batsman in the first innings of the Test match. He scored a stroke-filled 64 which included 10 boundaries and a six.

The second innings, however, was a completely different ball game. Chasing 461 to win, India lost their first wicket and review because of Murali Vijay. But just four deliveries later, Rahul was hit on the pad and the umpire ruled him out.

Instead of walking away, the Karnataka batsman decided to use a review. The ball was clearly pitching in-line, struck him on the off-stump line and was going on to hit the middle stump. To his embarrassment, he saw ‘OUT’ displayed on the giant screen of the MCA stadium. What his decision to review meant that players like Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane walked in with zero reviews left for India to take.