DRS Challenges: Captain's Review Decisions and Success Rates
The Decision Review System gives each team 2 unsuccessful reviews per Test innings (and 1 per limited-overs innings) — when a captain challenges an on-field umpire decision and loses, they lose a review. The decision to review: when to challenge and when to accept the umpire's decision is one of the most strategically complex real-time decisions in cricket. Teams with good review strategies can overturn incorrect decisions; teams with poor review strategies exhaust their reviews early and are left without recourse.
The DRS review process: a captain (or any fielding team member on behalf of the captain) can challenge an on-field umpire decision within 15 seconds of the decision being made. The fielding team uses a specific signal: a rectangular shape drawn with both index fingers in the air (the 'TV screen' gesture). The batting team similarly challenges — the batsman gestures toward the umpire to indicate the challenge request. Once the challenge is signalled, the third umpire reviews all available technology: ball-tracking (Hawk-Eye) for LBW decisions; UltraEdge/Snickometer for caught-behind decisions; video footage for run-outs. The decision: uphold (original decision stands), overturn (original decision reversed). If the decision is overturned, the challenging team retains their review.
When to Review
The review decision framework: expert cricket analysts and coaches have developed heuristics for when to review: (1) Clear misses (ball clearly hit the pads not the bat on a caught-behind): review immediately; (2) LBW where the batsman believes the ball pitched outside leg: review (ball pitched outside leg = not out, regardless of where it hit); (3) LBW decisions on the front foot where the ball pitched far from the stumps: don't review (the longer the ball has to travel after pitching, the more uncertain the Hawk-Eye projection); (4) Very plumb LBW decisions where the batting team has no grounds: don't review (a wasted review harms the team in critical future situations). The umpire's call zone creates strategic complexity: if the ball is in the umpire's call zone on DRS, the on-field decision is maintained — a not-out decision stays not-out even if Hawk-Eye shows the ball clipping the stumps, and vice versa.
Batting Team Review Decisions
Batting team review strategy: batsmen are encouraged to immediately review decisions they believe are wrong — the 15-second window is tight, and deliberation costs valuable time. Specific batsmen who are known for excellent review decisions: Steve Smith (Australia) has one of the highest review success rates in Test cricket — he reviews decisions rapidly when he knows he has hit the ball to the wicketkeeper (caught-behind reviews), and he leaves decisions alone when he is genuinely uncertain. The batsman's advantage: they know exactly whether they edged the ball (they felt it); the challenge is judging LBW decisions where the ball might have been pitching outside the line or the impact was marginal.
T20 and ODI Reviews
DRS in T20 International and ODI cricket: each team has 1 unsuccessful review per innings (not 2 as in Test cricket). This means every review decision is higher stakes — a single misused review in a T20 powerplay leaves the team without recourse for the remaining 14 overs. T20 teams tend to be more conservative with their single review: they prioritise obvious miscarriages of justice (ball clearly outside the off stump hit to the wicketkeeper; LBW where the ball clearly pitched outside leg) over marginal decisions. Some teams use no DRS reviews in T20 matches if the decisions remain correct throughout the innings — the review is most valuable as 'insurance' for a key batting decision in the death overs.
Frequently asked questions
How many DRS reviews does each team get?
In Test cricket, each team receives 2 unsuccessful DRS reviews per innings. If a review is successful (the decision is overturned), the team retains the review. Unsuccessful reviews (where the original decision is upheld) are lost. In ODI cricket, each team receives 2 unsuccessful reviews per innings. In T20 International cricket, each team receives 1 unsuccessful review per innings. The reviews reset at the start of each innings — a batting team that uses both reviews in the first innings has a fresh allocation in the second innings (they cannot carry forward unused reviews). The limited number of reviews per innings is designed to ensure teams use them carefully rather than challenging every borderline decision.
What is umpire's call in DRS cricket?
Umpire's call in cricket DRS refers to decisions where the ball-tracking technology shows the ball is in a marginal zone — specifically for LBW decisions where the ball is only clipping the edge of the stumps. In the umpire's call zone, the on-field umpire's original decision is maintained, even if Hawk-Eye shows the ball would have hit the stumps (if the original decision was not out) or shows the ball would have missed (if the original decision was out). The rationale: the ball-tracking projection for the 'virtual path' portion of the delivery (after the ball hits the batsman) has enough uncertainty that marginal decisions should default to what the on-field umpire saw in real time. Umpire's call is one of the most controversial aspects of DRS because it can appear inconsistent.
Can a batsman review a decision themselves?
Yes, in DRS cricket, a batsman can request a review of a decision made against them within 15 seconds of the umpire's signal. The batsman signals by making a T-sign (both hands raised, one flat as the crossbar of a T, one pointing upward as the stem). For batting team reviews (typically caught-behind or LBW where they believe the ball hit their pad first or pitched outside leg stump), the batsman's own judgment is critical — they felt whether they edged the ball to the wicketkeeper. The team can refuse to review if the batsman signals they know they hit the ball and the fielding team caught it. Batsman review decisions are often made in communication with the non-striking batsman who had a different viewing angle of the delivery.