India was unhappy with the Dukes balls going bad after only 10 overs and quality of replacement balls
Former England pacer Steve Harmison has slammed the Indian team and captain Shubman Gill for the Dukes ball change controversy on day two of the ongoing third Test against England at Lord’s.
India requested a ball change in the 91st over of the England innings because the one being used was not playing well. The umpire granted India's plea after taking the hoop test. The fact that the modified ball appeared significantly older than it should have at that point in the game became a point of contention.
In order to get the ball replaced with a more recent model, bowler Mohammed Siraj and India captain Shubman Gill engaged in a heated argument with the umpires. Siraj was also outspoken about the situation, and Gill even yelled at the umpire.
Steve Harmison, a former pacer for England, saw the incident differently, though. He said that India didn't need to change the ball as the one being used earlier was swinging much more than the one used later.
"I've got no sympathy for India at all. Why change it? Jasprit Bumrah got it swinging around the corners. Mohammed Siraj didn't even throw the ball to Bumrah, didn't ask his opinion. When he asked for the ball to be changed, the ball was doing a lot. Now, the ball being good enough is a different argument. In this situation, I've got no idea why India decided to change the ball," Harmison said on JioHotstar.
"The ball was doing all sorts. They just picked up three wickets, and then it was an absolute implosion. Gill stopped trying to get Jamie Smith out, put all the fielders out. All of a sudden, you've now got the older ball. I do agree that the ball was a lot older than the one they replaced. Within 10 minutes, they went from bowling England out for 320 to now potentially England getting 400. Because you feel hard done by when the ball was actually doing quite a lot. That's why I've a pretty little sympathy with India. They should've never done that," he added.
England made 387 runs batting first thanks to a century by Joe Root and fifties from Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse, while Jasprit Bumrah took 5/74. In reply, India has made 145/3 with KL Rahul unbeaten on 53 at the end of day 2.