SHANE Watson refused his right to appeal against an lbw decision on principle.

Mike Hussey, who had the benefit of a replay in the rooms, said: ''I must admit I thought he should have. But he was adamant: 'You've got to use your bat, I should have hit it'.''

The decision-review system made its Australian debut yesterday and introduced a game within a game, the nuances of which many in the cricket world are still trying to figure out. The Australians seem to have a better handle on it than most, having used their two referrals effectively during a trial in South Africa this year.As it turned out Watson showed better judgment in choosing not to refer the verdict than he did in not offering a shot to a ball from Jerome Taylor, which he expected to shape away but instead jagged in and struck him on the knee-roll.

Had the decision been referred to third umpire Mark Benson, it is unlikely he would have found sufficient evidence to overturn the on-field call made by Asad Rauf. In effect, the system gives the benefit of the doubt to the umpire and, although the ball pitched outside off-stump, Watson took this defence out of the equation when he shouldered arms; the only doubt was height.

The Australians have an unofficial policy of empowering top-order batsmen to challenge decisions, so Watson presumably would not have been pilloried for squandering one of the two permitted referrals 13 balls into the innings.

''We prefer our top-order batsmen using them as much as possible and not having them left towards the end, but we haven't got a rule as such. It's sort of how you feel, or you have a quick chat to your mate up the other end and see what he thinks. Other than that, we're still pretty happy with the umpires making the majority of the decisions,'' Hussey said. ''I know I used one in South Africa. I actually felt I was out but I thought, 'Oh well, we might as well use it,' and it turned out to be in my favour.''

Watson has been out lbw in 10 of his 19 Test innings and the mode of dismissal figures even more prominently in his stint as a Test opener, with five lbw verdicts in six innings. Hussey, who strengthened his own position with 66 yesterday, backed Watson to hold down the opener's spot. ''His technique is outstanding,'' he said.

The West Indies did not use the referral system so well, wasting one challenge on a marginal lbw appeal against Ricky Ponting and failing to challenge another when the Australian captain, on 53, looked to have been hit plumb in front by young paceman Kemar Roach.

In the first instance, Hawk-Eye showed the ball was clipping the top of the stumps but the evidence was not definitive enough to overturn the original decision. In the second, umpire Ian Gould would have been proven wrong and Ponting would have been out on appeal.- TheAge