Cowan pans ICC over India's review block

Robert Smith

Opener Ed Cowan called on cricket's governing body to use the review system in all Test matches after two controversial umpiring decisions went against Australia on the opening day of the first Melbourne Test against India on Monday.

Debutant Cowan (68) and senior batsmen Mike Hussey (0) were given out caught behind but were unable to seek a referral to the video umpire for adjudication because of India's refusal to use the review system for this series.

Replays raised doubts whether either Cowan or Hussey catches had come off the bat.

Cowan didn't shirk the issue when he was asked about the dismissals at his post-stumps press conference.

"With the DRS (Decision Review System) I am in an interesting perspective because I have been a consumer of cricket for so long," Cowan said.

"This is day one on the job for me so as someone who loves their cricket and has watched a lot of cricket I just don't understand why it can't be handed down by the ICC (International Cricket Council) to be uniform in all games.

"That's me speaking as an outsider, not as someone who has been in the bubble for a long time.

"It is an interesting one, we'll see how it pans out, I'm sure it will even itself out over the course of the series." Of his dismissal off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Cowan said:"You saw the replays, you saw my reaction. You can join the dots."

But Cowan was more definite about the dismissal of Hussey for his third Test golden duck in eight innings after replays appeared to show the delivery from Zaheer Khan had brushed his sleeve and not his bat.

"I feel for any batsman who gets out, it's a bit of a gut-wrenching experience, whether it's your first ball or you're 150," Cowan said.

"Of course, I was disappointed for him. It was a massive moment in the game, it was a huge momentum (switch).

AFP