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Indian officials claim England received preferential treatment in choosing match balls, arguing a crucial replacement ball at Lord’s was 30-35 overs old.
India have repeatedly complained to the umpire over the ball losing shape too early. (AFP Photo)
In yet another major controversy, Indian team officials have reportedly raised their concerns with the ICC referee claiming England have been given preferential treatment in choosing match balls on the ongoing tour. India have also claimed that during a crucial juncture of the Lord’s Test when the ball went out of shape, the replacement that was provided to the visiting team was 30-35 overs old and it proved to be a game-changer.
India had England on the ropes with Jasprit Bumrah picking up three wickets in 14 deliveries including that of Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Chris Woakes in the first innings of the 3rd Test. But the ball went out of shape after just 10 overs and India asked for it to be changed.
As per the ICC protocol, the replacement ball should also have been 10 overs old. However, it wasn’t the case. From 271/7, England ended up with 355-all out with Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse hitting half-centuries and India eventually lost the contest by 22 runs on the final day.
“At Lord’s, after about 10 overs, the Dukes ball lost its shape, something that has been happening so often in the series. The ball failed to pass through the rings that the umpires carry on the field to check if the ball is uniformly spherical. However, the umpires didn’t have a ball that was 10 overs old, so the Indian team at a crucial moment of the match got a ball that was 30-35 overs old,” The Indian Express quoted an Indian team official as saying.
“Check the scoreboard to see how the game changed after that. The bowlers lost their swing and England scored with ease,” the official added.
India have also called for a change in the ICC rules as the teams aren’t told about the age of the replacement ball.
“When you ask for a ball change, you aren’t told about the age of the replacement you will be getting. At Lord’s, we weren’t told that the replacement would be 30 to 35 overs old. If we were told, we would have continued with the deformed ball that was used for 10 overs. The ICC needs to intervene. This rule needs to be changed,” he said.
Preferential Treatment To England?
As per the report, among the balls that have been in use for the ongoing series, the one with the darker shade of red have swung more. However, the official claims that at times, the fourth umpire has brought a box to the Indian dressing room which had just one ball with darker shade of red. When India picked that ball, they were told it has been chosen by England as their second new ball.
“I am not alleging anything but when we asked for the darker ball, we were told that was the ball England had selected as their second new ball,” said the official.
“The right thing would be to have this ball selection in the match referee’s room and not in the dressing room with the local umpire as the only official present,” he added.
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital…Read More
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience in digital… Read More
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