June 24, 2011

The DRS vs a DRS !


I follow two sports the most. Cricket and Formula One. The past year has seen both the sports introduce a new path-breaking technology abbreviated as the DRS. In cricket it stands for the Decision Review System, while in F1 it expands to the Drag/Downforce Reduction System.

Majority of the rote drivers in F1 have loved the system which enables a car behind to overtake the one in front by opening up a part of its rear wing, thereby reducing the drag on the straights and adding a few tens to the speed. It has also been derided because it gives no scope to the man ahead to actively defend his position and makes him a sitting duck.

Just look at this video and see for yourself how easily Jenson Button can get past Kamui Kobayashi. Not denying that Jenson is a good driver, but under normal circumstances, I know for sure that Kamui will fight tooth and nail to retain his position and Jenson would have to use all his brawn and brain to get ahead. Not now. Kamui is history at the flick of a Button, pun intended. Have a look.






Indians being Indians, we cannot accept something thats not Indian without stomping over it. The stomped one here is Cricket's version of the DRS, which allows upto two unsuccessful attempts at questioning an umpire decision. But hey, the Lords at the BCCi are not too enamoured by this all and have questioned (!) and lampooned the system depending on their individual whim! Turn back the calendar about 5 years back. Did the same BCCI not question and lampoon the T20 version calling it names like gully cricket and tamasha and the like. In just over half a decade, the same tamasha is being sold by the BCCI for billions. It has embraced the T20 format like no other. I hope the same fate befalls the DRS and that the BCCI accepts it - nay, embraces it - as soon as possible.