Technology could have ensured a result in 2nd Test

The Bridgetown Test between India and the West Indies that ended in a tame draw on Saturday, is a perfect example of why cricket needs the help of every available technology. Several atrocious decisions on the final day of play hurt both teams in almost equal measure to take the Test to it's meek outcome.

Take the final chase for instance. Though India had been in a position of strength, declaring their innings on 269, West Indies at 109 for 4 in reply were going strong. Shivanarine Chanderpaul seemed to get all of his experience to reach 12 off 87 balls before Harbhajan struck his back-pad outside the line of the off-stump. Umpire Ian Gould though adjudged on the contrary and declared Chanderpaul out LBW.

The hosts had suffered earlier as well when Rahul Dravid, batting on 9 may have found himself walking back on a personal score of 9 if hotspot had judged the legitimacy of a catch. The on-field umpires though had him stay and he went on to score 55 runs. Suresh Raina in the first innings had not been so lucky as he was given out by Asad Rauf despite the catch at forward short-leg coming off his body instead of his willow.

The spate of incorrect decisions in the Barbados Test come close on the heels of International Cricket Council's decision to make a modified version of the Decision Review System mandatory. This despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India's reservations against it earlier. The Test itself however, could have ended in a result for one of the two competing sides had certain errors not been made even though many have argued that human error in judgment should be permissible to an extent.