Ben Stokes calls for rule change after 'wrong' Zak Crawley lbw in third Ind vs Eng Test
The technology seemed to indicate that the ball was not hitting the stumps but was given out on umpires's call
Ben Stokes wants to see changes to the DRS rules following England's discontent with numerous decisions in the third Test against India.
Zak Crawley's lbw decision was especially perplexing for Stokes, as the technology seemed to indicate that the ball was not hitting the stumps.
The decision was out on the field and the DRS gave it as an ‘umpire’s call’, despite seemingly missing.
That meant Crawley had to walk as England slumped to a 434 defeat.
Stokes was seen talking to the match referee after the match, and when quizzed on what he asked, he revealed: “It was just about Zak’s DRS and he was just giving us some information about how it was judged to be given out when the ball wasn’t hitting the stump on the replay.
“The numbers said it was hitting the stump, but the image said it was wrong.”
More generally, Stokes wants to see the ‘umpire’s call’ rules for DRS gone but also refused to blame them for England's defeat.
“I think you just want some kind of level playing field, I guess. I think the umpires have an incredibly hard job as it is, especially out in India when the ball's spinning and bouncing, and sometimes not," he continued.
“My personal opinion is that if the ball's hitting the stumps, the ball's hitting the stumps. I think that should take away the umpire's call if I'm being perfectly honest.
“I don't want to get too much into it because then it sounds like we're moaning about that.”
England collapsed to their heaviest Test defeat in terms of runs since the Second World War to go 2-1 down in the five-match series.
Another blockbuster double century from Yashasvi Jaiswal set England a world record target of 557 to win the third Test.
Jaiswal, who made 209 in Visakhapatnam last time out, equalled the record for the most sixes in an innings with a dozen in his unbeaten 214 to underpin India's 430 for four declared.
England never threatened to achieve the unthinkable as India's attack - latterly bolstered by the return of Ravichandran Ashwin following his departure due to a family medical emergency - tore through the tourists' beleaguered line-up.
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