Ranji Trophy: Saurashtra assistant coach unsure if limited DRS will help

The decision to introduce the 'limited' DRS in the upcoming semifinals and final of Ranji Trophy was made after teams complained about umpiring howlers.

Published : Feb 24, 2020 21:10 IST , Ongole

The need for DRS in domestic cricket resurfaced post the umpiring gaffes in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 semifinal between Saurashtra and Karnataka. [Representative Image]
The need for DRS in domestic cricket resurfaced post the umpiring gaffes in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 semifinal between Saurashtra and Karnataka. [Representative Image]
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The need for DRS in domestic cricket resurfaced post the umpiring gaffes in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 semifinal between Saurashtra and Karnataka. [Representative Image]

After a smooth journey to the second consecutive Ranji Trophy semifinal — by batting Andhra out of the quarterfinal — Saurashtra assistant coach Niraj Odedra is expecting a good fight against Gujarat in Rajkot starting on Saturday. But he isn’t sure if the 'limited' Decision Review System (DRS) — set for domestic cricket debut — will help cut down on errors.

“We have four days to prepare. We will have a look at the wicket and plan something out. It will be a good wicket where everybody will have something to offer. The seamers can do their bit, the batsmen can get runs and after two days, the spinners may come into play,” he said

“Talking about DRS, it is as new for me as it is for the players. Any technology is good for cricket. Most of the guys have seen that on TV. But they are taking away Ultra Edge and Hawk Eye, so I don’t know how is it going to help but we have to believe in technology.”

The need for DRS in domestic cricket resurfaced post the umpiring gaffes in the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 semifinal between Saurashtra and Karnataka involving India internationals Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal.

Rest for bowlers

Saurashtra batted the entire Day 4 and on Day 5, Jaydev Unadkat chose not to bowl. Odedra wanted to rest the bowlers.

“Jaydev bowled more than 250 overs this season. Earlier, I had said that I would be surprised if the game continues till Day 5 but since it did, I think our bowlers needed rest. They did a good job and it will be crucial to start the semifinal with fresh energy and rather than feeling tired.”

The quarterfinal pitch at the CSR Sharma College Ground in Ongole was advertised as a seam-friendly track. Apart from the first session, the ball did not talk much.

“If we had bowled first, we would have restricted them to 250. There was lot of help for the seamers in the beginning but the mistake that Andhra bowlers did, we didn’t. We bowled the right lines and there were no loose balls. Dharmendra [Jadeja] and Chirag Jani bowled 48 dot balls before lunch on Day 3 which put pressure on Andhra. We knew that at some point, pressure will get us wickets,” he said.

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