Former India batter questions DLS method after India’s loss to Australia in 1st ODI
Former KKR batter Aakash Chopra slammed the DLS method after India’s rain-hit defeat to Australia in the 1st ODI, calling it an “injustice” to the team batting first.
Last Updated: 11.18 AM, Oct 20, 2025
The rain-affected first ODI between India and Australia in Perth has sparked fresh debate over the fairness of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. Former India and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batter Aakash Chopra criticised the calculation system, calling it “injustice” after India’s narrow defeat. The Men in Blue, who batted first, were restricted to 136 in 26 overs before Australia chased down a revised target of 131 with seven wickets in hand.
Aakash Chopra slams DLS after Perth ODI
Aakash Chopra expressed his frustration on social media, questioning how a team scoring 136 could still lose when the opposition’s target was reduced to 131 under the DLS rule. He argued that India, having started their innings with the mindset of a 50-over game, were unfairly disadvantaged once rain forced overs to be cut short.
According to Chopra, the DLS system “punishes” the side batting first because they plan their innings without clarity on the eventual match length. “If India knew from the start it would be a 26-over match, the approach would have been entirely different,” he noted.
He further pointed out that Australia benefited from knowing their exact target before batting, which allowed them to pace their innings perfectly. This, he said, highlights the imbalance created when matches are shortened mid-game. “It’s simply unjust to the first-batting team,” Chopra concluded.
"India had made 136 but the target was down to 130? What is DLS? Under the Duckworth-Lewis method, the total does get recalibrated. But this is wrong. It’s an injustice. Let me explain why. Firstly, when the match began, it was a 50-over game for India. But progressively, the overs began reducing, making it difficult for India to adapt to. What happens in DLS is, if they have less wickets, India had lost nine, so we were in a weaker position according to DLS. That means you have made 136 runs extra and you wouldn’t have made even this much if it was initially a 26-over game. This is wrong."
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