England Captain Ben Stokes Urges Overhaul of DRS Rule Following Controversial Decision in Defeat Against India

England‘s cricket captain Ben Stokes has called for a reassessment of the Decision Review System (DRS) protocols in the wake of a contentious lbw decision during the team’s loss in the third Test against India in Rajkot.

Zak Crawley, the batsman in question, contested the decision to dismiss him lbw by umpire Kumar Dharamasena, opting to review the call. Despite the ball’s projected path indicating it would miss the leg-stump, Crawley’s challenge was unsuccessful, leaving him frustrated as the decision stood.

This was not the first instance of Crawley being on the wrong side of a tight DRS call, having faced a similar situation in the previous Test match. Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum, sought clarification from match referee Jeff Crowe post-match, expressing their discontent with the decision.

Stokes revealed that while there was an acknowledgment of an error in the video replay, Hawk-Eye technology confirmed that the underlying calculations supported the on-field decision. The England skipper voiced his confusion over the discrepancy, stating, ‘The ball is quite clearly missing the stump on the replay.’

England suffered a significant 434-run defeat in the Test in Rajkot, marking the team’s largest loss (by run margin) since Ben Stokes took on the role of Test captain. The visitors collapsed within just two sessions on Day 4, managing only 122 runs in pursuit of a daunting 557-run target set by India.

Stokes emphasized that he does not want to attribute the team’s defeat solely to DRS calls, but he proposed the elimination of ‘umpire’s call’ altogether. He remarked, ‘My personal opinion is if the ball is hitting the stumps, it is hitting the stumps. They should take away ‘umpire’s call’ if I’m being perfectly honest.’

Nasser Hussain, a former England captain, pointed out missed opportunities for England in the Rajkot Test, advising Stokes on the timing of crucial shots during the match. Reflecting on the defeat, Hussain suggested a more balanced approach to both attack and defense in challenging situations.

It remains to be seen if the concerns raised by Stokes and the England team regarding the DRS protocol will result in any changes moving forward as they gear up for future matches against strong cricketing rivals.