The Dukes ball has come under scrutiny this season.
As per the rule, the umpire slips the ball through a ‘ball gauge’ and if it slips through without any issue, the same ball is retained, and if it gets stuck, then the ball is changed.
However, England skipper Ben Stokes made a rather interesting remark ahead of the third Test at Lord’s, suggesting that piece of testing equipment to determine the shape of the ball is not suitable for the Duke balls.
“We are not the only. Whenever we have touring teams come here, there is an issue around the balls going soft, going out of shape. I don’t even think that the rings that we use are Dukes rings. Something that is not ideal but yeah, you have got to deal with it," Stokes said at the pre-match press conference.
“You know, you obviously, if you feel that the ball has gone out of shape, then you are going to check it with the umpire and if it goes through the rings, it goes through the rings and you crack on and then hopefully, eventually, it gets that badly out of shape that you are able to change it," Stokes added.
“But yeah, everyone, the bowling team, seemed to struggle with it. It seemed the big issue last week at Edgbaston. But yeah, it is what it is. If it fits through, we keep going. If it doesn’t, then we get a new one," he continued.
The Dukes ball, preferred in Test matches in England for its seam and swing support, has come under scrutiny this season.
Speaking after India’s maiden Test victory at Edgbaston, captain Shubman Gill warned that the appeal of Test cricket could be impacted if bowlers are sidelined by such conditions.
On the eve of the Lord’s Test, Gill’s deputy Rishabh Pant also slammed the quality of the Dukes ball being used in the ongoing series. The wicketkeeper-batter further stated that the gauge to measure Test match balls, be them Dukes or Kookaburra, should be the same.
“The gauge (to measure the balls) should be the same (whether its Dukes or Kookaburra). But it would be better if it was smaller (laughs). The balls are giving so much trouble," Pant said while speaking at the pre-match press conference.
“What I’ve seen, the ball is getting de shaped too much. That has never happened like this to me. It’s definitely irritating for the players because every ball plays differently because when it becomes softer, sometimes it’s not doing too much," he added.
India played two spinners and three pacers on a flat Edgbaston pitch, but the Lord’s track is expected to pose a harder challenge for the batters. Pant, though, refrained from commenting on India’s team combination for the Lord’s Test.
“We will get to know by tomorrow whether it would be 3-1 or 3-2. When you see the wicket two days, sometimes it changes the colour, the moisture will become less also," Pant said.