A series of ball changes frustrates players and fans alike
The ongoing India-England Test series has been overshadowed by persistent issues with the Dukes ball, which has failed to last even 15 overs at times. The latest flashpoint came on Day 2 of the third Test at Lord’s, when India captain Shubman Gill and pacer Mohammed Siraj engaged in animated discussions with the on-field umpires after yet another ball change.
The replacement ball — introduced just 10.3 overs into the innings — was deemed unsatisfactory by the Indian players. Siraj, in the middle of his over, immediately expressed his displeasure to the officials, while Gill could be seen arguing about the ball’s shape and condition. The incident echoed earlier matches in the series, where similar complaints were raised, and the ball had to be changed multiple times across innings.
“Even from here you can see that is not a 10 over old ball, that is like a 20 over old ball,” said former India captain Sunil Gavaskar during commentary, voicing the concerns shared by many players and viewers.
Fan outrage over Dukes ball quality
The frequent ball changes have not only disrupted the rhythm of the games but have also triggered widespread backlash from fans on social media.
Another ball change after 42 deliveries. The first ball was changed after 63 deliveries. Not the best advertisement for Dukes. pic.twitter.com/uD5ImMVMAo
— Subhayan Chakraborty (@CricSubhayan) July 11, 2025
Yet another ball change. Just 10 overs (64 balls) old this ball.
What's wrong with the Dukes ball this series?#ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/eNSNQMCWFJ
— Kanav Bali (@Concussion__Sub) July 11, 2025
The quality of these Dukes Cricket Balls should be really questioned.
Not a single innings without a change of balls in this series so far.
There's controversy even after changing the Ball.
This is unacceptable, imagine if the same happened with Indian SG balls.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/g4fn5a2F4y— Arpit Bhatnagar🇮🇳 (@arpitbhtnagar) July 11, 2025
Ball manufacturer responds to growing scrutiny
In response to the mounting criticism, Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd. — the makers of the Dukes ball — arrived at Lord’s to observe the situation firsthand. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he defended the quality of the ball while acknowledging the frustration surrounding it.
“Obviously, we listen to comments and observations. But this (the ball going out of shape and getting softer) is not something unusual, it’s been happening ever since cricket has been played. Not everything is static, it’s not an engineered product in that sense,” Jajodia explained.
Jajodia emphasized that the balls are produced to a high standard using the best natural materials. “Essentially, we make the balls to a standard. People often ask if the balls being made now are different from last year. No, we make the balls at a specification using the very best raw materials.”
He elaborated further: “What people must understand is that raw materials are natural. A hide, which is one cow, produces a maximum of 12 balls at Test level. A lot of cows are involved and they’re not exactly the same. So, that’s one essential problem. But our job is to try and select as close as possible the leather for the top-quality ball, which is what we do. And then, of course, you’ve got the human element (the Dukes is an entirely hand-stitched ball). The workers are not exactly the same. It’s like handwriting; there might be slight variations. And that’s the romance of cricket, that it’s not exactly the same. We try to make it exactly the same, but it’s never going to be exactly the same. Then you’ve got other interactions like the climate.”
Jajodia noted that the demands on the ball have changed over time due to evolving playing conditions. “The balls are being hit harder, further, and therefore impacting things like pillars and seats and so on. All these have an impact on the ball. When you look at any ball objectively, it’s a small round object and it’s been battered all day. To expect that to be perfectly in shape all day is an impossibility. It can’t be done, nobody can do it.”
He also highlighted that “also, we are playing a lot of Test cricket in England on drier and harder pitches. In the good old days of English cricket where the pitches were green and moist, the gold would be on the ball after 50 overs, it would be beautifully protected. But those days are gone. And in any case, a cricket ball is supposed to go soft. You can’t have a ball that stays exactly the same for 80 overs, it has to deteriorate gradually. We could produce a ball that stays hard throughout, but they (the players) will have broken fingers and broken backs.”
‘We don’t want our reputation tarnished’
Despite the criticism, Jajodia stood firm on the integrity of the manufacturing process and insisted that any necessary adjustments would come after the season, not mid-series.
“I can assure you, we take this hugely seriously. We don’t want to have our reputation tarnished because we’re not making the product properly,” he said. “We’re making the product the best we can. And if there’s an issue, there’s a review at the end of the season. (But) I can’t change course (now). The lead times are huge, you can’t suddenly go to another batch and so on. The balls have been made. They’re in the system.”
Jajodia said he’s not brushing the matter aside: “My job is to keep my head down and keep going because that’s the best thing to do. The main thing is to assure people that I haven’t casually put my feet up on my desk and said, ‘You know, we’ll make some rubbish this year because we’re in the mood to do it’. We really do make a huge effort to get it right and it’s very irritating when these problems happen.”
When presented with a telling statistic — that the average runs per wicket in the first 30 overs is in the 40s, but balloons to 100+ between overs 31 and 80 — he responded, “I hadn’t heard that statistic, but all I can say is that I haven’t made a ball that self-destructs at 30 overs. You can’t deny the fact that it’s happening. I would urge the players to be a bit patient and concentrate on what they’re doing, what they’re good at, and don’t keep blaming something else.”
Is a shorter ball lifespan the answer?
Jajodia has floated the idea of allowing a new ball every 60 or 65 overs instead of the traditional 80. “That might be an answer — maybe 60 or 65,” he said, while acknowledging that in this series some balls have deformed within 15 overs. “This year, the weather in England has been very unusual. And the balls might be expanding slightly. It’s not about making excuses. It’s a whole load of things that could influence what this small object is subjected to and could affect it.”
He concluded with a reminder of the Dukes’ widespread adoption despite the lack of formal contracts: “I supply balls in England for Test matches, country cricket, minor league cricket, universities, premier leagues, Army, Navy, all at the top end of the market. There are no compulsions, no contracts, nothing. That’s just because they want to use my product. I rest my case.”
