• How DRS law saved Rassie

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    Proteas batsman Rassie van der Dussen was given not out during the first T20I against India despite DRS showing he was plumb lbw.

    The incident took place on the fourth ball of the penultimate over, with South Africa needing 11 more to win.

    Harshal Patel’s appeal for lbw was turned down by the on-field umpire, with India captain Rishabh Pant then reviewing the decision.

    DRS showed the ball would have hit the stumps but the third umpire could not overturn the decision because of Clause 3.4.6.4 under Appendix D of the ICC men’s T20I Playing Conditions.

    “When a not out decision is being reviewed, where the evidence shows that the ball was hitting, the point of first interception was in line, and the ball pitched in line or outside off, but that the point of first interception was 300cm or more from the stumps, the on-field decision shall stand (that is, not out).”

    In other words, if a batsman is given not out by an on-field umpire, and the distance between the batsman and the stumps at the point of impact is 3m or more, then the decision will be not out, no matter what ball-tracking indicates.

    So instead of Van der Dussen being dismissed and debutant Tristan Stubbs coming to the crease, the 33-year-old survived and hit the next delivery for four.

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    Simon Borchardt