Muttiah Muralitharan wants ICC to enforce reviews

Muttiah Muralitharan has said the ICC should ensure that the umpire decision review system is implemented in every Test series. The UDRS is currently being used in New Zealand and Australia, but not in India, where Sri Lanka have been on the receiving end of poor umpiring decisions.

"Had the review system been there, we could have been in a better position. Everything went against us," Murali said. "Dilshan couldn't capitalise on day one. Those are things that matter at the end of a Test. The ICC should open its eyes and just put the review system in place for all the games. We endorse the review system because the pressure is off the umpires."

Tillakaratne Dilshan, batting on 109, was adjudged caught at bat-pad in the first innings in Mumbai though replays showed a sizeable gap between bat and ball. Dilshan was then given out lbw in the second innings, after padding up to an offbreak from Harbhajan, and replays indicated the ball would have missed the stumps by a considerable margin. During India's first innings, Sri Lanka were unfortunate not to have Rahul Dravid caught behind off Rangana Herath and Sachin Tendulkar was fortunate to survive a close lbw appeal against the same bowler.

"At the moment the pressure is more on the umpires and if they make a mistake everyone will complain," Murali said. "The review system in the future is a must. In two other Test series happening in Australia and New Zealand it is on, but it's not happening here. I don't know how many decisions went against us, I didn't count, but there were many occasions we have been unlucky."

Despite the bad decisions against Sri Lanka, Murali said India had "played really well", "put pressure on us, and didn't allow us to bowl to our plans" to take control of the final Test. At the end of the fourth day, Sri Lanka had lost six second-innings wickets and were trailing by 59 runs. That they are still fighting was due to their captain Kumar Sangakkara, who defied the bowling by scoring his first century in India.

"It's a brilliant captain's knock," Murali said. "He's still at the wicket and if he hangs around for more time he can make a difference tomorrow."

Muralitharan said although it had not been "a rosy series" for him it could happen to any bowler. "I took nine wickets for 550 odd runs. Overall, we haven't got that many wickets in this series and that's why India is on top."