Cheteshwar Pujara has revealed that Australia possessed a live feed in their dressing room during the 2017 India-Australia series, providing them with a significant advantage in decision review system calls. The claim centres on the controversial incident involving Steve Smith during the second Test in Bengaluru in March 2017, when Smith was given out LBW by umpire Nigel Llong after being struck on the pad by Umesh Yadav. Smith’s attempt to look towards the Australian dressing room before deciding whether to appeal the decision became a flashpoint in the series.
Pujara stated that Indian players were unaware of Australia’s technological setup at the time. Speaking about the disparity between the two teams’ facilities, Pujara explained how the difference in feed access created an unequal situation during DRS moments.
“Every time you looked at their [Australia] DRS decisions, they were spot on. They knew whether they had to take it or not. Until then, none of us Indian players were aware that Australia had a live feed in their dressing room,” Pujara said to Aakash Chopra on Baith And Bol.
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How Australia’s live feed gave them a DRS advantage?
Pujara elaborated on the technical advantage Australia held over India during the series. He described how the delayed nature of India’s dressing-room feed contrasted sharply with Australia’s setup, which gave Australian players crucial seconds to assess whether a DRS challenge would succeed.
“Normally, the dressing-room feed is delayed, but they had a live feed ready. So, they used to sneak a look towards the dressing room so that nobody would catch them, and then make the call on whether to take the DRS or not,” Pujara said.
The Bengaluru Test incident and Smith’s brain fade
The Bengaluru Test incident involving Smith became the focal point of the controversy. After being given out LBW, Smith consulted Peter Handscomb before turning towards the Australian dressing room, prompting Virat Kohli to intervene when he spotted the movement. The umpires refused to allow Smith to seek outside assistance before making his DRS decision, and Smith later admitted the mistake, describing it as a “brain fade.”
Handscomb accepted responsibility for the incident, stating he had suggested Smith look towards the viewing box and was unaware of the rule prohibiting such consultation. Kohli claimed he had observed Australian players looking towards their dressing room for DRS guidance on earlier occasions during the series. Cricket Australia rejected the broader allegation, describing Kohli’s claims as “outrageous.”
India won the Bengaluru Test by 75 runs, levelling the series at 1-1 after Australia had won the first Test in Pune. India ultimately won the series 2-1 in Dharamsala, but the controversy surrounding Australia’s DRS practices remained a significant talking point from the tour.
