With England bowled out for 387 on Day 2, India took to the crease with momentum on their side. After a standout performance from Nitish Kumar Reddy on Day 1 and a four-wicket haul from Jasprit Bumrah on Day 2, the visitors looked in control. However, a moment involving the replacement of the Dukes ball drew attention from former England captain Nasser Hussain.IND vs ENG 3rd Test Day 2 Live Score While commentating on the match, Hussain took note of India’s persistent attempts to get the ball changed during England’s innings. Towards the end of the innings, pacer Mohammed Siraj and captain Shubman Gill were visibly dissatisfied with the condition of the ball. After 63 deliveries and three wickets with the second new ball, India finally got it changed. But Siraj wasn’t convinced. The stump mic caught him asking the umpire, “Is this a new ball? Seriously?” instead of running in to bowl. The umpire instructed him to return to his mark and continue with the game. Hussain was baffled by the timing and reasoning behind India’s request. “I really thought this was a very odd ball change from India. There are two reasons for changing a cricket ball—one, because the umpire thinks it’s gone out of shape, two, if the bowling attack and the captain realise that the ball is doing nothing and try to get it changed,” he said. The former England skipper pointed out that the ball was already offering significant assistance.
“I cannot work out why you’d want to change a ball that was doing this much. I thought it was one of the most bizarre decisions,” Hussain added, also criticising Gill’s animated protest after his initial request was denied.Earlier, TOI reported that there were murmurs in English cricket that the historically pronounced seam on the Dukes ball has become significantly blunt and that some even feel that it feels more like a Kookaburra ball, which has seams that flatten out as the ball gets older.
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Dilip Jajodia, owner of the company that manufactures the Dukes ball, said multiple factors were behind the balls going softer. “It is not like I wake up one morning and decide to make the balls differently. There is a standard process of manufacturing. But one must consider the variable factors as well. The beauty about cricket is that there are so many variables at play,” Jajodia told TOI.The chatter surrounding the Dukes ball did not end there, as Hussain went on to state that both Gill and Stokes have shared their concerns on the ball. He also argued that the ball is being changed a ‘bit too frequently’ as compared to historical trends.
