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AUS vs NZ, Boxing Day Test: Tim Paine criticises DRS technology after two controversial decisions

Tim Paine expressed his discontentment after getting out by a controversial DRS decision and then seeing Ross Taylor getting saved by the TV Umpire.

AUS vs NZ, Boxing Day Test: Tim Paine criticises DRS technology after two controversial decisions

Tim Paine file image. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Australia captain Tim Paine did not seem to be a happy man at the end of the second day’s play of the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand as he strongly criticised the Decision Review System (DRS) technology.

Paine expressed his discontentment after getting out by a controversial DRS decision and then seeing Ross Taylor getting saved by the TV Umpire at the fag end of the day.

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The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman was playing one of the best knocks of his Test career when Neil Wagner trapped him in front for LBW. Though the on-field umpire had given it a not-out, a successful DRS from the Kiwis overturned the decision.

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On being asked about his dismissal in a post-match interview with broadcaster ABC, Paine said, “I thought from the length that it pitched, and the bloke bowling around the wicket, it’s pretty difficult to hit you in line, and hit the stumps.”

It was highly unlikely for the ball, which pitched way outside off and hit Paine in the line, to cut in so sharply to hit the middle stump, as shown by the ball tracking. Some of the commentators echoed the same on-air with the ball shown dipping into the sticks.

Paine was left dismissed once again when New Zealand batsman Taylor was saved by the DRS. The ball looked to be hitting the stumps but the tracking technology showed it going over.

“And then you get one late tonight which, the guy’s stuck on the crease, he’s hit really full and it’s going over, so it’s disappointing and it makes me angry,” said Paine.

“I’ve got a few doubts, no doubt about that,” he added of the technology’s accuracy.

“I won’t go into it too far because I’ll get in trouble but 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 what it comes up is sometimes a little bit off the mark.”

On early Friday, Australia lost overnight batsman Steve Smith for 85 but the 30-year-old’s partner Travis Head dug in his feels with Tim Paine to put 150-run partnership.

In the course it, Paine scored 79 and Head scored the second century of his career before losing their wickets to Neil Wagner. Head played a scintillating knock of 114 runs.

Wagner returned with figures of 4 for 83, while Tim Southee ended with 3 for 103. Meanwhile, Colin de Grandhomme got 2 for 68 and Trent Boult claimed the remaining wicket.

Earlier on Boxing Day, riding on half-centuries from Smith and Marnus Labuschagne (63), Australia had ended Day 1 with the scoreline of 257 for 4.

(With inputs from PTI)

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