Flashback: The first player to be given out via DRS

The introduction of the Decision Review System (DRS) has played a huge role in overturning and giving correct decisions if a player or a team decides to challenge it. The technology provided a huge sigh of relief especially after the controversial SCG Test match in January 2008 which witnessed horrendous umpiring decisions and a couple of falsely claimed catches by the Australian players against India.

However, when something is introduced, there is always a first person to get an experience of it and as far as the DRS is concerned, it was former India batter Virender Sehwag who officially became the first player to be adjudged out by the DRS. This happened during the Colombo Test match between India and Sri Lanka in July 2008.

When Virender Sehwag became the first victim of DRS

The Colombo Test was when the DRS made its debut in international cricket and the players of both teams made the most use of this new facility. Indian captain Anil Kumble made the first use of it when the veteran offie Harbhajan Singh appealed for an LBW against opener Malinda Warnapura and the umpire did not give it out. The decision remained the same and Warnapura carried on batting. However, it was Sehwag who became the first player to be ruled out by the system.

India in their first innings were bundled out for 223 in reply to Sri Lanka’s total of 600 and then then skipper Mahela Jayawardene enforced the follow on. It was during the visitors’ second innings that the explosive batter was caught in front of the wicket by spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan.

On the fourth ball of the seventh over of the innings, Muralitharan’s delivery hit Sehwag’s pads. The ball was bowled round the stumps and made contact with the batter’s front pad. There was a huge appeal from the Sri Lankan players as they believed that the ball was in line of the stumps. Nonetheless, the appeal was turned down by the on-field umpire Mark Benson.

The hosts took a review instantly and the Virtual Eye indicated that it would have gone on to knock the middle stump after the ball made contact with the pads.

Thus, the on-field umpire had no other choice other than ruling Sehwag out and raised his index finger after receiving an official confirmation from upstairs. Virender Sehwag walked back to the pavilion with just 13 runs to his name as India were bundled out for just 138.

Sri Lanka went on to register a comprehensive win by an innings and 239 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.