Joe Root takes dig at India amid Dukes ball controversy; Sunil Gavaskar slams poor quality: 'You can't keep wasting time

England batter Joe Root has proposed a rule for ball changes during a match as he took a sly dig at Team India amid the Dukes ball controversy. Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the poor quality of the balls. read more

The Dukes ball controversy is growing momentum as the India vs England Test series enters Day 3 of the third Test at Lord’s. The criticism surrounding the Dukes ball losing its shape earlier than expected hit a crescendo on Day 2 of the third Test on Friday after India asked for the ball change twice in the morning session.

The second new ball, with which Jasprit Bumrah took three wickets in the first session, was replaced after just 10.3 overs, while the replacement ball only lasted 48 deliveries. Indian captain Shubman Gill was also seen arguing with umpires to force a ball change that the bowling team felt was not doing anything, while Nasser Hussain criticised India’s tactics.

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Joe Root proposes limit to ball change request

England batter Joe Root, meanwhile, has come up with an idea that each team should get three chances to change the ball over 80 overs before a new ball becomes available. “I personally think that if you want to keep getting the ball changed then each team gets three challenges every 80 overs and that’s it, if you want to get it changed,” Root said after the end of Day 2. “But the rings have to be the right size, not too big.

“That would be a nice way of compromising and saying it’s not all on the manufacturer. Sometimes these things happen, but you can’t just keep asking and wasting time and slowing the game down at the same time.”

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Root, however, added that the team needs to stop making a “big deal out of it,” as multiple factors could lead to a ball going out of shape.

“I don’t know the ins and outs of how they make it,” he said. “I do know that they’re handmade so you’re never going to get two balls exactly the same. I do think this summer has been a bit of an anomaly for us. We’re not used to getting this much sun and this much heat and squares as hard and outfields as firm so whether that plays a part or not [I don’t know].

“It’s one of those things where if the balls are going out of shape, you change them, and you don’t make a big deal out of it. I don’t think it’s the end of the world. I think it adds a different dynamic to the game and you’ve got to be skilful enough to adapt to the changes, whether it stops swinging or starts swinging or does a little bit more.”

Gavaskar slams Dukes balls after multiple changes at Lord’s

Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has meanwhile criticised the quality of the Dukes balls, saying that such poor quality of balls during a Test series in India would have led to a massive outrage.

“Even from here you can see that is not a 10-overs old ball, that is like a 20-overs old ball. If this would have happened in India… where if there were not enough balls similar to the ones replaced, the British Media would have certainly made a big deal out of it,” Sunil Gavaskar said on air.

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Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad gave credence to Gavaskar’s arguments by accepting on X that the Dukes balls have been poor over the last five years.

“The cricket ball should be like a fine wicketkeeper. Barely noticed. We are having to talk about the ball too much because it is such an issue, & being changed virtually every innings. Unacceptable. Feels like it’s been 5 years now. Dukes have a problem. They need to fix it. A ball should last 80 overs. Not 10,” Broad wrote on X.

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