Indian cricket fans on Twitter went after England captain Ben Stokes following the first three days’ of play in the fourth Test of the ongoing series. Stokes had voiced his opinion on the ‘Umpire’s Call’ feature of DRS after his team suffered a heavy loss in the third Test played at Rajkot.
The all-rounder had said that he wanted this aspect of the review system to be scrapped. These comments came in the wake of controversy surrounding the dismissal of opener Zak Crawley in the final innings of the Rajkot Test.
Indian Twitterati Up in Arms
The comments on Twitter intensified after England seemed to benefit from the ‘Umpire’s Call’ feature on the second day of the fourth Test. As many as five Indian batsmen were dismissed LBW and reviewed the decision, only to be denied a reprieve thanks to the ‘Umpire’s Call.’ Then, on Day 3 of the fourth Test, Ben Stokes himself benefitted from an ‘Umpire’s Call’.
But does the captain of the visiting team actually deserve this? Did he really make as big an issue of this particular feature of the DRS as is being made out? Let’s look at the bare facts to get a clearer picture.
Ben Stokes’ whole comment on the issue
The England captain’s comments came in a post-match interview with talkSPORT. Stokes had a long conversation with the match referee following Crawley’s dismissal.
The England opener had been given out on the field and had asked for a review. The ball-tracker gave an ‘Umpire’s Call’ verdict on the ball hitting the stumps. However, the animation didn’t show the ball actually hitting the stumps.
The interviewer for talkSPORT asked Stokes about this. The skipper revealed that he sought clarity from the match referee. On being asked whether the ‘marginal calls’ caused some frustration among his team, Ben Stokes’ exact reply was:
“Yeah, I think it can do (cause frustration), but I don’t think that’s something you pin down to the result of a game. Because there are so many factors (that) go into it. Sometimes, when you get on the wrong end of those decisions, it does hurt. But, that’s part of the game. You want them to go your way. Sometimes, they do, sometimes, they don’t. So, I don’t think you want to be too picky around those ones.”
So, he is clear that DRS calls aren’t responsible for his team’s defeat.
Now, let’s look at what he said next:
“My personal opinion is that if the ball is hitting the stumps, the ball is hitting the stumps. I think that should take away the ‘Umpire’s Call’ if I am being perfectly honest. But I don’t want to get too much into it because then, it sounds like we are moaning about it, (and saying) that’s why we lost.”
Here is the whole interview of Ben Stokes:
Ben Stokes’ actual position on DRS
Stokes favors a batsman being given out if the ball hits the stumps, regardless of the on-field decision. This stand isn’t about the Crawley dismissal, as the opener was given out, and the ball-tracking said that the leg stump would have been hit.
Whether you agree with it or not, this stand is shared by many players and commentators, including Virat Kohli. In all, the whole vilification of Ben Stokes is based on a very selective reading of his comments. This is another example of how a player is unfairly targeted without properly understanding his full comments.