Eoin Morgan will always remember the day the ECB finally accepted the umpire's decision was no longer final. This was the first day the Umpire Decision Review System had been used in England – and thanks to that, and a lot of skill besides, Morgan now has a maiden Test hundred.
Morgan was 78 when the Sri Lankan umpire, Asoka de Silva, ruled he was lbw to Pakistan's leg-spinner Danish Kaneria. England, with one review left, took it and Morgan was reprieved by the third umpire, Marais Erasmus, as TV replays suggested the ball was missing leg-stump.
What do you say if you are Paul Collingwood, at the non-striker's end, and your batting partner is only 22 runs short of a maiden Test hundred at only his third attempt. Collingwood is a tough cookie, but he would have to be a molar breaker to refuse him a second chance. Morgan got the answer he yearned for.
"It's the first time I've used the review system so yeah I'm happy," Morgan said. "I had a bit of doubt in my mind and Colly said 'I think you should review it.' The important thing is communication between the two batsmen and being honest about it. If it feels natural, refer it. The angle Kaneria was coming from he was always going to struggle to hit the stumps."
The UDRS makes use of multiple camera angles, slow-motion replays, Hawk-Eye and Hot Spot. Only Snicko was not used because it takes seven minutes to set up. Thanks to the ultimate power of technology, Morgan was still batting when Malik tossed one up and he launched it for a straight six to reach his hundred.
There was nothing pre-planned about it, even with the new ball potentially three deliveries away. "I wasn't even in that frame of mind," he said. "When they brought the field up I thought he would just dart it in and I would have to nurdle it for one. But when he threw it up I just had to free up my hands."
Kaneria had two wickets overruled by UDRS, with Jonathan Trott also reprieved, and England go into the second day with one replay remaining. Compare that to Pakistan, who wasted both of theirs in feverish fashion in successive post-lunch overs from Mohammad Asif in their desperation to dismiss Kevin Pietersen, who in his current form is quite capable of dismissing himself. Their second appeal, for a catch at the wicket by Kamran Akmal, was a nonsense. Trott looked as if he had been researching UDRS in depth. He asked for the review with a perfect signal, as he held his bat above a vertical arm to make a letter T. He had probably been practising it in front of the mirror.
Deciding whether to make an appeal under UDRS needs calm heads and measured thought processes, a logical discussion, whether between batsmen or fielders, of the percentage chance that a decision might be overturned. Pakistan cricket is famed for its exuberance, passion and over-excitement. They are not perfectly designed for it.
Umar Amin offered a none-too convincing defence: "I was at gully and I thought they were both out," he said. "I just consider this as a hard day at the office. I don't think we were over-excited. The senior players gave their opinion and that's why we took the reviews.
"We had a plan that the wicketkeeper would be the main man to decide whether we took the reviews. Kamran is a very tough man and I'm sure he will come back tomorrow."