DRS pioneer Ian Taylor hits back at Tim Paine after Australia Test captain doubts review system

It seems the battle of the trans-Tasman rivals has spilled out of the ground. Australia Test captain Tim Paine came under criticism from New Zealander Ian Taylor after the former doubted the accuracy of the Decision Review System (DRS) pioneered by the latter during the Boxing Day Test match against the Kiwis after two decisions went against the hosts. The wicketkeeper-batsman called the system “a bit off” after stumps on Day 2 even though the Kangaroos ended up winning the game by 247 runs to clinch the three-match series.

Paine lashed out at the DRS after missing out on his maiden Test ton when given leg before wicket in the bowling of Neil Wagner after an initial not-out verdict. The Kiwis went for reviewing the decision and turned it in their favour with the ball tracker suggesting that the red cherry hit him in line with the stumps. Paine fell for 79.

Tim Paine was disappointed when Ross Taylor got a favour

He had more reasons to feel irked when New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor gained through the DRS after his lbw dismissal was overturned on Day 2. It showed pacer James Pattinson’s delivery missing the stumps and after the day’s play got over, Paine expressed his reservations.

“I’ve got a few doubts, no doubt about that,” Paine told ABC Radio. “I won’t go into it too much because I will get in trouble.

“I’m just seeing time and time again, what I see to the naked eye or watching it on television in real time, and then when it comes up it is sometimes a little bit off the mark,” he added. The Aussie skipper had also taken a cheeky dig at Taylor on the ground, saying the New Zealander knows the guy in the DRS truck, thus doubting its legitimacy.

A day later, Ian Taylor hit back at Paine. Taylor, whose Animation Research Ltd operates the Virtual Eye technology used to operate the DRS in Melbourne, asked Paine to take a closer look at how decisions are made.

“After he leaves he might still think he got a raw deal and that’s helpful to us too because we get his input as well, but refusing or not bothering to come and have a look at how the decision was made that’s what’s really frustrating,” Ian Taylor said as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald.

“We’ve got to respect that these guys are really skillful out there and have been playing for ages, so he obviously believes he could see where it was going and this is a really good opportunity – this is what he saw, this is what we captured for real; does he see any discrepancies there now?

“Does he still think we got it wrong? He may, but what’s really frustrating is he doesn’t have any idea how much tech is behind the decision we made and how much care is taken to make sure it’s right. This isn’t instinct,” Taylor added.