Ben Stokes' DRS review brings India's thin umpiring resources back in spotlight

India may have risen to number one in the ICC's Test rankings and BCCI may be the richest cricket board in the world but India's umpires continue to languish with little presence in the ICC's Elite Panel of umpires that adjudicate in Test cricket. (Scorecard)

S Ravi broke the deadlock, becoming only the second Indian umpire after S Venkatraghvan to join the Elite Panel last year. But few others have managed to break through the ranks. (Ravichandran Ashwin shatters records with 23rd five-wicket haul)

India's Chettithody Shamsuddin, now on the ICC's Emerging panel and wearing the third umpire's hat in the ongoing Mumbai Test match, brought the quality of Indian umpires' debate back in focus.

Shamsuddin, filling in as third umpire for Marais Erasmus, who has replaced the hurt Paul Reiffel on field, was in the spotlight for his adjudication of Ben Stokes' DRS review. (Mumbai Test, Day 2: How it happened)

India had called for a review for a catch at slip. The original onfield umpire had ruled Ben Stokes not out. Shamsuddin did follow all the procedures of checking for the no-ball to watching the slow-motion then calling for an ultra edge check. (India spinners far better than England's, says Parthiv Patel)

While the slow motion seemed to suggest ball had narrowly brushed the edge of the bat, Shamsuddin relied on the ultra edge which showed a spark when the ball went past the bat. Incidentally, the bat hit the ground at the same time, which could also have made the technology display the spark. (Jos Buttler calls for more control from England bowlers)

That the third umpire relied on the inconclusive evidence of ultra edge became clear thanks to the live audio of Shamsuddin consulting match referee John Crowe sitting besides him before ruling the batsman out. Former England skipper Nasser Hussain was critical in commentary of the third umpire seeking someone else's opinion. "The decision should be entirely the third umpire's" he said.

Thankfully for Shamsuddin, the batsman in question, Stokes who had to walk back with the reversed decision and visibly unhappy with the call, acknowledged at the end of the day's play that the correct decision had been made. "Felt a a bit hard done by until I had seen the replays properly. The correct decision was made in the end thanks to DRS. Every series should have it," he tweeted.

For Shamsuddin who got this opportunity to work as a shadow umpire to the third umpire on a BCCI initiative requesting the ICC to help Indian umpires get a hang of the DRS, should an opportunity arise, his own report card may not be entirely glittering despite the right decision.

India's umpiring talent is lagging behind to match international standards may have even more road to cover in the DRS age.