Classic contests that DRS would've ruined

[trundler]

Donald had Atherton fairly early on in that innings. Some pretty woeful umpiring made things closer than they should've been in the 2000 WI Vs Pak series.


This thread isn't about bad decisions per se, just instances when having a review would've prevented a thrilling contest from commencing.

 

[StephenZA]

How many great contests have we lost because we did not have DRS?

 

[Kirkut]

That Gilchrist lbw in 2001 Kolkata test would've been overturned by DRS, but Bhajji was in such red hot form that he would have inevitably got the wickets and won the game.

Langer would have been given out in that 2000 Hobart test against Pakistan, but Wasim Akram and Akhtar would have had to still bowl very well to contain Gilly and clean up the tail.

 

[Daemon]

Donald had Atherton fairly early on in that innings. Some pretty woeful umpiring made things closer than they should've been in the 2000 WI Vs Pak series.


This thread isn't about bad decisions per se, just instances when having a review would've prevented a thrilling contest from commencing.

Sydney ’08 would’ve been a walk in the park for India instead of the memorable affair it ended up becoming.

 

[pardus]

Third Test in Barbados in 1988 between Pak & the mighty Windies. Pak was leading the series 1-0 (with a nail biting draw in the previous Test).
Windies were tottering at 180-7 while chasing some 260+ in the fourth innings (against Imran, Akram & Abdul Qadir).
Qadir had multiple Umpiring decisions go against him. He had Marshall lbw very early, he had Dujon caught off bat-pad.

That Pak team should have been the first side to beat West Indies in West Indies in over 15 years.
West Indies finally won the match as Dujon & Winston Benjamin completed the chase.
The classic contest result meant the Test series was drawn 1-1.
That Pak team was the only visiting team to win a Test match in West Indies in the entire decade of 1980s.
It was also the only visiting team to not lose the Test series in the West Indies in the entire decade of 1980s.

Despite these, IMO if DRS was there, Pak would have won the series 3-0

 

[SteveNZ]

Adelaide, 2015 day night Test.

Hold on, sorry, it doesn't say classic contests that DRS ruined.

 

[trundler]

Adelaide, 2015 day night Test.

Hold on, sorry, it doesn't say classic contests that DRS ruined.

My patriotism starts and ends with saying Ajmal had Tendulkar out in 2011

 

[Kirkut]

Sydney ’08 would’ve been a walk in the park for India instead of the memorable affair it ended up becoming.

I think we would have probably drew that test at best, but the controversy did help us to get motivated to win at Perth.

 

[Daemon]

I think we would have probably drew that test at best, but the controversy did help us to get motivated to win at Perth.

Nah, we got a first innings lead despite a Symonds 162 that should've been 10 or something. If you take that away there's no time for a draw, one side would've won and I'd put my money on the one that put up 500+ legitimate runs in their first innings.

 

[stephen]

The 2005 Ashes would have been completely different, Martyn would have been Australia's champion instead of scapegoat.

 

[the big bambino]

Sydney ’08 would’ve been a walk in the park for India instead of the memorable affair it ended up becoming.

Would never have qualified for this thread as BCCI would have nixed DRS even in hypotheticals.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

England v South Africa, Headingley 1998. England won a tense match by 23 runs. With DRS (or indeed without Javed Ahktar umpiring in the middle) South Africa probably win by 5 or 6 wickets.

 

[stephen]

The second tied test would have been not tied. The last wicket was going down leg according to players.

 

[vcs]

DRS would correctly have given Kasprowicz not out at Edgbaston 2005. It wouldn't have ruined the contest, but surprised Aussie posters haven't mentioned this yet.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28980946/england-win-2005-ashes

The twist
What if the DRS had been mandatory in that summer of summers? The technology was in its infancy back then, but only as a broadcaster's tool. Had it been available, however, England's agony would have been beyond compare.

With three runs left to defend, Steve Harmison forces the doughty Michael Kasprowicz to glove a lifter down the leg side, where Geraint Jones stoops to scoop the most iconic catch of his career. But at the moment of impact, Kasprowicz's hand has already come off the bat handle, a point that Channel 4's coverage makes abundantly clear.

With nothing left to lose, Australia call for their final review, and the sight of daylight between glove and bat is all that's needed to suck the air out of a crestfallen stadium. Harmison, so jubilant only moments earlier, flings a wild, despairing leg-side wide way out of Jones' reach, and Australia romp to an extraordinary one-wicket win.

 

[GIMH]

DRS would correctly have given Kasprowicz not out at Edgbaston 2005. It wouldn't have ruined the contest, but surprised Aussie posters haven't mentioned this yet.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28980946/england-win-2005-ashes

If DRS was in place at Edgbaston, we'd have had the game wrapped up long before that came to pass, they got away with a plumb lbw. Wouldn't Kaspa still be out anyway though, handled the ball? Seems to go both ways on here whenever that comes up

Ashes 05 would definitely look very different with DRS though

 

[Burgey]

Nah it wouldn’t have been handled the ball. Lbws square themselves up when you factor in Martyn getting screwed over and S Jones not out in the last wicket partnership with Flintoff when Lee hit him on the full on the back pad in front of middle. Bowden apologised to Lee for it at the end of the over. Genuinely the plumbest lbw I’ve seen not given.

Worse than Stokes at Headingly, which DRS would also have ruined as an england win.

 

[morgieb]

DRS would correctly have given Kasprowicz not out at Edgbaston 2005. It wouldn't have ruined the contest, but surprised Aussie posters haven't mentioned this yet.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28980946/england-win-2005-ashes

I mean yes, but Kasprowicz was also plumb first ball or something but not given.

In terms of interesting hypotheticals Trent Bridge looks more promising. Katich was sawn off in a terrible decision and Jones survived one.

 

[stephen]

The umpiring was truly woeful that series. Bad lbw decisions aplenty.

 

[GIMH]

whinge bleat bore the forum to death.

.

 

[TheJediBrah]

If DRS was in place at Edgbaston, we'd have had the game wrapped up long before that came to pass, they got away with a plumb lbw. Wouldn't Kaspa still be out anyway though, handled the ball? Seems to go both ways on here whenever that comes up

Ashes 05 would definitely look very different with DRS though

definitely not handled the ball

At the risk of stating the obvious, every example in this thread is probably preceded (and followed) by multiple incorrect decisions going either way in the very same match which also would have been changed with DRS, rendering the contention that DRS changes these matches exactly as we are claiming pretty weak.

obviously it's just a fun exercise but just felt like saying that