In a veiled attack on the standard of umpiring in the Test series against India, Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara today said the three-match rubber should have had the Decision Review System in place as dodgy decisions cost his side "over 500 runs and a lot of wickets".
"This series is probably the best advertisement for having the review system. When decisions cost us over 500 runs and a lot of wickets, it always put lots of pressure on any side," Sangakkara said after his side were outclassed by the home side by an innings in two of the three Tests, including the third and final match here today.
Sangakkara contended that while he would accept that his side was outplayed by India, the absence of the review system was a big handicap to the visitors.
"We accept the fact we were out-bowled and outplayed. But to not have the review system when every other side in the world is playing with the review system and when the ICC said all sides would play with the review system becomes an extra handicap and that handicap cost us huge amount of runs in this Test and in the last Test," the visiting team skipper said.
Tillakratane Dilshan was unlucky to be given out in both the innings of the match here. On first occasion he was given out caught but TV replays showed that the ball had not hit his bat.
In the second innings, he was given out leg before even though the ball was missing leg stump and going above the bails.
However, his opposite number Mahendra Singh Dhoni said it he was not in favour of a system which is still not 100 per cent accurate.
"I think it's very difficult to speak as I have not played in a single series that had review system. At the same time I don’t think it is 100 per cent fool proof. It is not like a vehicle which is 100 per cent bullet proof," Dhoni said.
"If you are traveling in one of those vehicles vehicle you would want it to be either 100 per cent bullet proof vehicle or nothing. You don't want to try something that’s not fool proof," he added.
Saying he would welcome it if it can give 90 per cent decisions correctly, Dhoni said the sides benefiting from it would praise it and suffering from it would slam it.
"It has its own advantages and disadvantages. If it was part of the series and we were at the receiving end I would come in the evening and say its not good. At the same time if your spinners get wickets because of the review system you tend to be on its favoured side. It's very difficult to judge right now to judge whether it's good or not.
"Of course you can always strive to make it a fool-proof system where 90 per cent of the times it gets the correct decision," he declared.
