Opener Ed Cowan called on cricket’s governing body to use the review system in all Test matches after two controversial umpiring decisions went against Australia on the opening day of the first Melbourne Test against India on Monday.
Debutant Cowan (68) and senior batsmen Mike Hussey (0) were given out caught behind but were unable to seek a referral to the video umpire for adjudication because of India’s refusal to use the review system for this series. Replays raised doubts whether either Cowan or Hussey catches had come off the bat.
Cowan didn’t shirk the issue when he was asked about the dismissals at his post-stumps press conference. “With the DRS (Decision Review System) I am in an interesting perspective because I have been a consumer of cricket for so long,” Cowan said. “This is day one on the job for me so as someone who loves their cricket and has watched a lot of cricket I just don’t understand why it can’t be handed down by the ICC (International Cricket Council) to be uniform in all games.
“That’s me speaking as an outsider, not as someone who has been in the bubble for a long time. “It is an interesting one, we’ll see how it pans out, I’m sure it will even itself out over the course of the series.”
Of his dismissal off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Cowan said:”You saw the replays, you saw my reaction. You can join the dots.” But Cowan was more definite about the dismissal of Hussey for his third Test golden duck in eight innings after replays appeared to show the delivery from Zaheer Khan had brushed his sleeve and not his bat. “I feel for any batsman who gets out, it’s a bit of a gut-wrenching experience, whether it’s your first ball or you’re 150,” Cowan said.
“Of course, I was disappointed for him. It was a massive moment in the game, it was a huge momentum (switch). “We just had a 100-run partnership, wrestled back momentum and then almost a 50-run partnership and we felt we were half an hour away from nailing them, really grinding them into the dust. “We get through that Zaheer Khan spell unscathed and it’s a completely different complexion to the day’s play.” Cowan said the two contentious decisions cost Australia the chance of building a big first innings total.
“Today momentum went against us because of it. Two of your top six,” he said. “But that’s the game and we’ll take the good with the bad.” Left-hander Cowan protected his wicket with steely patience and a willingness to leave the ball in his 177-ball knock. Australia recovered from 214 for six as Brad Haddin (21 not out) and tailender Peter Siddle (34 not out) shared a 63-run stand to take the home side to 277 for six at stumps. India also appeared to be victims by the absence of the DRS when a strong lbw appeal by Zaheer was turned down by South African umpire Marais Erasmus with Haddin on 19.
