India v Kenya
Friday, October 12, 2001

The manner in which India won their match against Kenya has sent out a strong message to South Africa.

The Indians gave their lower-order batsmen some handy practice by promoting Virender Sehwag and Deep Dasgupta up the order. Sehwag needed a big score in South Africa and today's knock will have helped him prepare for the matches ahead. There is nothing like batting in the middle, and Dasgupta's brief innings will have helped his confidence too.

Smart Alecs like to be different -- but often end up making fools of themselves. Among international umpires Darrell Hair and Dave Orchard might qualify as Smart Alecs. Orchard is developing his personal interpretation of the lbw law. Today he ruled against three Kenyans who had stretched right out on the front foot. Most umpires would have given them the benefit of the doubt, because of the distance between the impact and the stumps. Orchard had no such doubts. Of course, you cannot argue with that. If he maintains that he was sure that the ball would have gone on to hit the stumps, then he is the best judge to make an lbw decision.

But Orchard has to be faulted on the controversial Thomas Odoyo run-out decision. His first mistake was not seeking the help of the third umpire. Would he have been so cocky if it had been any other team than Kenya? I'd bet my bottom dollar that if it had been Tendulkar in place of Odoyo then the umpire would not have been as casual. Orchard today stands exposed as an umpire letting his ego take over.

His mistake opened Pandora's Box when Odoyo was eventually recalled. Can the third umpire correct an erroneous decision by the umpire on the field? If so, under what circumstances? There's much food for thought there over the next few days. However, Odoyo wasn't out, and no fair-minded person can object to his recall. Personally, I feel errors need to be minimised and the person who is in the best position should make the decision. That can only help the game.

The most convenient thing is, as usual, to point the finger at the International Cricket Council. But it's not easy for ICC, because opinions are sharply divided on contentious issues such as this. TV has brought money into the game -- but loads of ticklish issues too. I am sure ICC is aware of the effects of technology on cricket, and like all decision-making bodies it is assessing the situation very carefully. And I think that's sensible.

Sanjay Manjrekar, mainstay of the Indian batting in the late '80s and early '90s, was talking to H Natarajan. He will be commenting for Wisden.com on each session of the triangular one-day series in South Africa.

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