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Fresh Controversy Erupts! India Raises Concern Over 30-Over-Old Replacement Ball

Rajgeeta Yadav

Lord's Cricket Ground [Source: AFP.com]Lord's Cricket Ground [Source: AFP.com]

India have reached out to the International Cricket Council (ICC) after a controversy broke out over the quality of the Dukes ball being used in the ongoing Test series against England. At the start, India captain Shubman Gill complained that the ball was losing its hardness too quickly. 

As the series went on, both India and England had to replace the ball multiple times because of similar problems. These issues were brought up repeatedly with the umpires during the matches.

Team India Raises Concerns After Lord's Test

In the third Test match at Lord’s, the ball was changed twice in just one session on the third day. This raised serious concerns from the Indian side. They believed the replacement balls weren’t the same quality or condition as the original ones.

India felt they were at a disadvantage because when they replaced a hard, swinging ball, they were given a softer and older ball. This change affected their bowling, especially in the early overs when the ball usually helps bowlers get more swing and movement. That match ended with England winning by 22 runs, giving them a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Normally, if a ball is damaged or goes out of shape, it is replaced with one that is roughly the same age, meaning it should have been used for about the same number of overs. However, according to a report by The Indian Express, during the Lord’s Test, the ball that was given to India as a replacement had already been used for 30–35 overs, while the original ball was only 10 overs old.

The Indian team said they were not told about the age of the new ball at the time. Team official stated,

“At Lord’s, after about 10 overs, the Dukes ball lost its shape, something that has been happening so often in the series. The ball failed to pass through the rings that the umpires carry on the field to check if the ball is uniformly spherical. However, the umpires didn’t have a ball that was 10 overs old, so the Indian team at a crucial moment of the match got a ball that was 30-35 overs old.” 

Although Dukes balls are usually known for their good quality and performance, recently, there have been complaints, not just in this series, but also in county cricket. One of the main problems is that the ball gets soft too soon, even though it’s supposed to last up to 80 overs in an innings. A softer ball makes it much harder for bowlers to take wickets.

So far, with one match to go in the series, India trail England 1-2.