Sunday 6 November 2016 17:39, UK
India’s historic choice to use the decision review system for the first time in the upcoming series against England presents a new dimension for cricket loving fans on the subcontinent.
As ever, the stadiums will be sold out and television viewing figures will be off the scale. Crowds will huddle around screens in busy bazaars, at sleek new shopping malls and luxurious hotel lobbies, glued to the action, desperate to see Virat Kohli's side do well.
But this time each and every DRS decision will add to the day's talking points; the knowledgeable fans will all have a view and they won't be shy in coming forward to share it either.
Despite DRS being widely used elsewhere, India and their ruling cricketing body, the BCCI, were previously reluctant to use the technology, believing that some of their key batsmen may have a review kept back specifically for them.
Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar was among those unconvinced by the system and the BCCI was happy to accommodate that view. Many senior Indian players felt that key decisions involving DRS went against them in the 2008 Test series and enough was enough.
It led then captain MS Dhoni to say that India would only welcome DRS when it became 100 per cent foolproof. But with a new captain at the helm in Kohli, as well as a change in personnel at the BBCI, that view has been updated.
On turning, deteriorating wickets on the subcontinent, the decision to embrace DRS would appear to be a no brainer for the Indians - especially when they have the current No 1 ICC ranked bowler in off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in their ranks.
So it is rather odd that India, being such a tech savvy nation, has waited eight years to implement a system which the majority of the Test playing nations have proved to be of huge help to the umpires for close on a decade.
With DRS in place, the umpires have the confidence that should they prove to be wrong, the decision will be rectified on review.
Under pressure for long periods of an absorbing day's play, any technology which can help the umpires make the correct decision, should surely be welcomed. On the flip-side, in upholding the on-field decision it can also prove just how good their judgement is.
For all the inherent pressures on a touring side going into a Test series in India, Cook at least has the comfort of knowing what it takes to win on turning wickets.
The last time India hosted England in 2012/13, the visitors triumphed 2-1 in the four Test series, with Cook's 190 not out in the third Test at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, and the spin attack of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar swaying the result towards the visitors.
With the fourth Test in Nagpur finishing in a draw, Swann's and Panesar's earlier efforts ensured England came out on top. With three wickets a piece, the bowling of James Anderson and Steven Finn backed up a fine series performance by England.
This time, Cook has Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Gareth Batty and Zafar Ansari in his squad and the England captain will hope that his spin attack - whatever combination he chooses - will be able to repeat the heroics of Swann and Panesar, with the added advantage of DRS being available.
Batsmen should also be on surer ground. As if to prove the point to India, Ali overturned three 'out' decisions via DRS in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong. On all three occasions, the ball was shown to be missing the stumps on review and Ali went on to score a crucial 68 runs in the first innings as England went on to win the first Test.
Bangladesh hit back to level the series with an historic 108-run win in Dhaka and Cook will hope that his side are not scarred by the prospect of more spinning wickets.
With DRS available, the keenly-anticipated series promises to deliver more challenges as well as opportunities in the cricket-mad cauldron of the subcontinent.
