Ranji Trophy: Punjab skipper Mandeep slams umpiring 'howlers' as Delhi bag 3 points

MOHALI: Punjab captain Mandeep Singh has called for umpire decision review system (DRS) in the domestic circuit to improve the quality of cricket, raising his voice once again about the standard of umpiring.
Mandeep's team had to settle with a solitary point while Delhi bagged three points after a persistent rain forced the umpires to call off the match that had more than its share of controversies at the IS Bindra Stadium here on Monday."In this match, Shubman Gill got a bad decision twice. When teams like Punjab and Delhi play, you just can't expect such howlers. It breaks the confidence of players. The DRS system should be introduced in the domestic circuit," Mandeep told TOI.
"There is no harm in raising valid questions. Every cricketer talks about the standard of umpiring in domestic games in private. But I don't know why they don't speak up?" Mandeep asked.
Earlier, Mandeep had questioned Vijay Hazare Trophy rules after Punjab were denied a chance to qualify for the semifinals when their match was washed out, but their opponent, Tamil Nadu, progressed because they had won more games (9) in the league phase than Punjab (5).
In the elite cross pool (both A and B), Punjab has 18 points in four matches and is on top of the table. However, Mandeep felt they could have batted better against a depleted Delhi team.
"Look in elite group, you can't take any team lightly, but for sure we were the team in form. Delhi did not have their premier players in the squad. On a surface like this, we should have scored at least 400 runs in the first innings. Yes, there was moisture in the wicket on the opening day but we did not apply ourselves properly," said Mandeep.
The Punjab skipper heaped praises on Delhi's left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra: "I think our spinners should learn from him. Vikas bowled a very tight line and gave away only 54 runs in 32 overs. He didn't leak runs, whereas our spinners, especially yesterday, gave away too many freebies."
In the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, Mandeep has taken his game a notch above. He has scored 474 runs in five innings, including two centuries and two fifties. He is the highest run scorer in the elite group and is second behind Rahul Dalal of Arunachal Pradesh, who has scored 632 runs.
"What I have learnt from previous seasons is that I need to convert my starts. No one is going to notice your 80s and 90s. If you want recognition from selectors, you need to score big and that too at a consistent rate," said Mandeep.
"In the pre-season, I worked on my front foot drives because I used to get out by edging the ball in the slip cordon or to the wicketkeeper. I have worked on my defence and realised the importance of leaving the ball outside the off stump. In the red ball cricket, I had stopped chasing them," he said.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Delhi camp was quite satisfied with the three points.
"Honestly, we came here for three points and I am very satisfied with the performance of the team. We could have tried to get an outright win if the weather hadn't deteriorated. But I am very pleased with the overall performance," said Delhi's coach Bhaskar Pillai after the match.
Delhi's skipper Dhruv Shorey was declared as the player of the match for his 96 runs.