“I think the technology made a mistake this time”: Ben Stokes feels Zak Crawley wasn’t out in 2nd IND vs ENG Test.
In the 2nd Test against India, England captain Ben Stokes voiced his disagreement with the Decision Review System (DRS), specifically regarding the ball-tracking technology used to review Zak Crawley’s LBW appeal. Stokes believed the technology led to an incorrect call, resulting in Crawley’s dismissal on Day 4 of the Test in Visakhapatnam.
Crawley, England’s opening batsman, had displayed an impressive performance, scoring his second consecutive fifty in the match and posing a threat to India. However, wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav managed to dismiss him with a delivery that initially appeared to be missing the stumps, as ruled not-out by the umpire. A DRS review initiated by Indian skipper Rohit Sharma overturned the decision, relying on the ball-tracking technology indicating the ball would hit the stumps.
Here is Crawley’s dismissal video
Ben Stokes said “If it’s not 100%, I believe it’s fair for someone to say, ‘I think the technology made a mistake this time.”
Stokes acknowledged the limitations of technology in cricket. He emphasized that his critique of the technology was not intended as an excuse for the team’s loss but rather as a personal opinion.
“That’s just my opinion. I’ll admit that. But in a game with uncertainties, I won’t claim it’s the reason we didn’t get the result we wanted. I’m just expressing my view that the technology made a mistake this time, and I think that’s fair to acknowledge.”