Classic matches absolutely ruined by DRS had it been around
 

Was watching some highlights recently and thought this would be fun.

Aus vs SA, Edgbaston, 1999 WC

Warne on fire, has clean-bowled Gibbs and Kirsten after a great start by the Saffers. Cronje nicks out to slip and is given but wait, he's referred it and the 'catch' is found to have gone off his foot. The decision is reversed and I reckon South Africa would have won.

Aus vs WI, 4th Test, Adelaide, 1993

I bet everyone here old enough to remember the game thinks of the McDermott dismissal for this one. Well you'd be wrong because if DRS was around at the time, it would never have gotten that far; Billy was nailed on the back-foot by Walsh early in his innings and inexplicably given not. Terrible decision but had it been correctly given, WI would have won by 30-odd runs from memory.

Aus vs Eng, 2nd Test, Edgbaston (again), 2005

A 2-run loss would have been about a 60-run loss if Kasper had been correctly given leg-before early in his knock.

Your turn.

Tbf, England benefited from umpiring mistakes at Edgbaston too. No one really knows how that game would have gone with DRS in place.

Exactly. Simon Jones nailed on the back pad in front of middle early in an important partnership with Flintoff in the soap dodgers' second dig.

And of course, one could argue that the invention of DRS has created some closer matches as well, because at times a wrong decision would have left a game one sided, while a successful review left it in the balance. And the same applies in the past too. A couple of wrong decisions could have turned a potentially great game into a one sided drubbing.

Kasper wasn't out when he was given out anyway.

Benchmark with the breaking news

Another satisfied customer.

Always knew you worked at a shemale brothel.

uvo?

I also seem to recall that in the famous Kolkata test in 2001 when India followed on and won, there was a very good lbw shout against Dravid quite early on day four which was palpably out.In the 1993 Adelaide Test, I think Haynes or Richardson were out early but not given.

Basically, any close match Australia lost before DRS would have gone the other way had there been DRS.

We were robbed for decades.

What's to say that any of these still wouldn't have been classic matches?

What's to say that a batsman who referred a decision wouldn't have been out the next ball?

Cricket produces great contests because the competition is great, not because incorrect decisions allow for them.

What's to say it's not a hypothetical, light hearted discussion that we probably shouldn't get so serious about?

Good thread idea.

The 2nd Tied Test India vs Australia 1986 - YouTube

Tied Test. Watch from like the fifth minute onwards. The last wicket there was an inside edge for sure and probably wasn't even pitching in line.

EDIT - Of course there still would be no DRS today for this particular game.

:laugh: So true

worse imo