Sri Lanka captain backs review trial

COLOMBO (AFP) - Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has backed a new experimental rule allowing players to seek a second opinion on umpiring decisions, saying it has succeeded in cutting down mistakes.

Sri Lanka benefitted four times under the rule during the opening Test against India here before winning by a record innings and 239 runs on Saturday to gain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

The rule, on trial in the ongoing series, allows a batsman or fielding captain to request a review of any decision by referring it to the third official monitoring television replays.

"I am all for it, not because most of the referrals went our way but because we managed to rectify obvious mistakes," Jayawardene said after the match.

Sri Lankan batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was the first beneficiary. He was on one when initially given out caught by umpire Mark Benson of England on Thursday, but asked the official to review the decision.