DRS in domestic cricket not just for right decisions to be made, it’s a ‘fab experience’ for more than one reason: R Ashwin

Ravi Ashwin (Photo Source: Jio Cinema)

Veteran Indian spinner R Ashwin recently spoke about the Decision Review System (DRS) role in domestic cricket. His statement comes following Ricky Bhui’s dismissal against Manav Suthar in the ongoing Duleep Trophy match between India C and India D in Anantapur. The second day of the four-day match saw the bowlers dominate. Suthar, in particular, stood out by claiming seven wickets, five of which came in the final session.

Ashwin shed light on how DRS is reshaping batting techniques and the importance of exposing domestic players to the technology. Ashwin argued that DRS in domestic cricket has a purpose beyond ensuring correct decisions. He pointed out that Bhui’s dismissal shows how a batting technique that was once safe in first-class cricket is no longer correct thanks to DRS.

In the pre-DRS era, the batters usually employed the front foot as a means to avoid lbw dismissals as umpires used to be averse to ruling a batter out when leaning forward in defense. However, with the advent of DRS, an on-field call can be easily challenged, with the ball-tracking technology coming into play to determine the correct result.

“DRS for domestic cricket is not just for the right decisions to be made. Ricky Bhui’s dismissal last evening against Manav Suthar is a classic case of a batter who will get away with this technique 10/10 times in FC cricket. This was not a faulty technique pre-DRS but now it is,” Ashwin wrote on X.

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The 37-year-old emphasized upon the experience and value of such dismissals for emerging cricketers. He suggested that without exposure to DRS in domestic cricket, a player could struggle at the international level, potentially jeopardizing their career.

“Back in the day batters were given not out just because they managed to get on the front foot. Now, keeping your bat behind the pad can be fatal, imagine someone making the climb to international cricket without getting this experience Ricky got yesterday. He could very well take an entire test series to understand what he needs to work on and his career could well be over. This is a fab experience for more than just one reason,” he concluded.

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