According to reports, the English ball manufacturing company Dukes will examine into the disastrous ball alteration that altered the outcome of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. During the fourth innings run chase. Australia appeared to be coasting at one point, but with the introduction of the “replacement” ball in the final hour of the fourth day, everything unraveled.
On the last day. The England bowlers managed to get the new ball to move strongly. Which was a lot more than the ball they were using for the first 37 overs of the innings. Causing the Men in Yellow to collapse in a heap. In just 21 overs, Australia went from 264/3 to 334 all out.
Duke speculates that the replacement ball may have been one of the infamous 2018–19 batch of balls that caused problems for the hitters. Due to the participation of the county, match referee, and on-field umpires. The likelihood of such an incident occurring is quite remote. The ball is distinct from the others due to the production date being stamped on it as well.
Dilip Jajodia. The owner of the Dukes, provided an explanation of the complete procedure for choosing the ball and shared his opinions on the choice to conduct an internal inquiry. He said to News Corp:
We date stamp each ball we create for the specific season. 2023 would be written on it. We give the ground balls. These balls are regulated by the ground authorities, not by the ECB or the ICC. So Surrey would be responsible for handling the balls on this specific occasion (at The Oval).
“I don’t think they would take the chance of dropping a ball in there with a different date on it. He continued. Honestly, the match referee needs to be in charge of it. We do hammer that number in firmly, so the ball is imprinted even if the gold falls off. It would be difficult to get rid of.”
Dukes promised more lively balls prior to the Ashes series after bowlers complained about a specific batch’s lack of movement when the lockdown limitations were released.
While the Ashes did not offer excessive movement. The quality of the teams, the pitches, and the high-stakes environment created a balance between the bat and the ball that made for one of the most memorable series in recent memory.
During the fifth Ashes Test, Usman Khawaja and Ricky Ponting expressed their discontent with the Dukes ball modification
Usman Khawaja, an Australian opening hitter, questioned both on-field umpires questioning the Dukes ball change on different occasions. He was informed that the box had no other options.
Following the conclusion of the series, Khawaja stated:
I approached umpire Kumar Dharmasena directly and remarked, “That ball looks nothing like the one we were playing with,” right away. I can make out lettering on it,” he remembered. I have always started the batting against the new ball, but this ball seemed tougher than any other I have encountered throughout this Ashes series.
During the commentary, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting demanded an investigation into the incident. He referred to the action as a “blunder” and demanded that the matter be thoroughly investigated.
Following the conclusion of the series. The ICC released a brief statement in which it stated that it would not comment on the decisions taken by the on-field officials.
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