On this day, 12 years ago, the decision review system was for the first time trailled in a Test between India and Sri Lanka at the SSC. After a lot of reluctance the BCCI had agreed to incorporate in the Test, who were initially against the system.
The first player to ask for a DRS was India’s Harbhajan Singh, when an lbw appeal against Malinda Warnapura was turned down by the on-field umpire. Later in the Test, Virender Sehwag also became the first victim of the DRS. While the first player to survive a review call was Tillakaratne Dilshan, who continued batting even after having been given out by the on-field umpire.
The match wasn’t a memorable one for India as they lost by an innings and 239 runs. Riding on tons by Waranapura, Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweeera, Lanka posted a daunting total of 600.
India were no match to their counterparts and batted twice in the match. In the first innings, they scored 223, while VVS Laxman scored a 56 — only fifty in the innings.
It was a worse performance in the second innings, as India were bundled out for 138, with Gautam Gambhir scoring 43 only. Muttiah Muralitharan was the pick of the bowlers, who bagged 11 wickets in the match. Ajantha Mendis too bagged eight wickets in the match.
What was interesting is that all Indian wickets — except for one bagged by Nuwan Kulaeskara — went to either Muralitharan or Mendis. The hosts Lanka, went on to win the three-Test series 2-1, with India winning the second Test at Galle.
Bangladesh Tour to Sri Lanka Cancelled:
The Bangladesh cricket crew’s tour to Sri Lanka one month from now was deferred attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has unleashed ruin on universal games plans around the world. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said on Wednesday that it was educated by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that their players are yet to be prepared to participate in a worldwide arrangement.
