Willing to reconsider stance on DRS: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

Indian Test captain Virat Kohli has said that he is willing to reconsider their stance on the Decision Review System (DRS) going forward. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been against the use of the system right from the very beginning, which has resulted in all bilateral series involving India not seeing the use of the DRS.

Speaking at the post-match press conference on Sunday, Kohli said: “DRS has always been a question popping up in press conferences, I know that. You have to sit and analyse and ask the bowlers what they feel about it. Ask the batters what they feel about that.

“We literally just came into this Test match with very less time on hand. So now that we have time, I am sure these discussions will take place," he added.

While there is still a long way to go, it does seem as though the attitude of the Indian team towards the use of technology is changing. After a lot of resistance, Dhoni remarked last year that they could change their views on the system if minor tweaks are made to it.

Speaking about the BCCI’s opposition to the system earlier this month, ICC CEO Dave Richardson said: “We have always said that we would like to have the same rules for everybody as far as DRS is concerned and implement it on a uniform, consistent basis. The fact is though one of our members doesn't want DRS, they have a number of concerns regarding DRS. The major one being in their view the principle of a player reviewing an umpire's decision goes against the grain of what the spirit of cricket is all about.

"Our argument has always been 'well, what's better? An umpire being accused of a cheat, his effigy being burnt, teams threatening to go home in the middle of a series because they are upset with umpiring decisions. Is that good for the game? Or the altercation where an umpiring decision need to be changed even if he is a little bit embarrassed by having to change his decision?’”

Richardson added that the game’s governing body is constantly striving to improve the technology at hand and that it will eventually prompt the BCCI to accept the system.

"Ideally, we want the players to accept the decisions and walk off although historically that has not always happened, Richardson said." We think it is better for the game that we get as many decisions correct as possible. Ideally we want to be uniform but we are not there yet.

“What Geoff [Allardice, ICC general manager] is arranging is the testing of the technology so that everyone believes and trusts what the technology is supposed to be delivering is accurate and reliable. Once we get over that hurdle, the confidence in the DRS will grow and eventually we will end up with everybody accepting it.

"Down the line, may we get to develop the technology to such an extent that we can revert to the umpire being in control, whether the decision is to be reviewed or not. That is not in the realms of possibility but at this stage, the technology isn't such that a system like that will work. That is an objection in principle that they have."