Jayawardene backs umpire appeals

Muralitharan finished with 11 wickets in the match

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene says the new experimental rule allowing players to challenge umpiring decisions is stopping mistakes being made.

Jayawardene's side successfully used the rule, which is on trial in their three-Test series against India, four times in the first match.

The rule allows players to request a review by referring it to the third official monitoring television replays.

"If it wasn't there we probably would have had four bad decisions," he said.

Spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 11 wickets in Sri Lanka's innings and 239-run win, also backed the system.

"It is very good. No team can complain that they lost because of bad decisions," he said.

But India captain Anil Kumble said it was too early to comment on the rule.

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"A couple of calls were negated, but I think it is something that we will have to take forward. It is a bit too early to comment," he said.

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

Benson consulted TV umpire Rudi Koertzen before changing his decision and Dilshan went on to score 125 not out.

India batsmen Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were initially given not out by on-field officials, who changed their decisions after consulting the TV umpire.

Each team is allowed three unsuccessful review requests per innings but if one is successful they will get an additional appeal.

The trial will continue during the second Test, which gets under way in Galle on Thursday.