Rishabh Pant Reignites Dukes Ball Controversy: "It's A Big Problem Because..."

After India captain Shubman Gill criticised the Dukes ball that are being used during the side's ongoing five-match Test series against England, the manufacturer of the ball came out with a sharp response. Now, India's vice-captain Rishabh Pant has reignited the controversy regarding the Dukes ball with his statement in the press conference on the eve of the third Test against England at Lord's, London. The wicketkeeper-batter was quite honest in admitting that the ball losing its shape has become a "big problem".

"Definitely. I feel it's a big problem because the ball is getting out of shape. But at the same time, it is not up to us because when you are leaving, you see the ball. You can see it is 'D' shaped. But the rules are like such. Utill and unless someone changes it. It is not up to the players," Pant said on Wednesday.

Earlier, India captain Gill had said that the ball losing its shape makes it tough for bowlers to pick wickets.

"It is very difficult for the bowlers. I think more than the wicket, maybe the ball is out of shape very quickly. It gets soft very quickly. I don't know what it is, whether it is wickets or whatever. It is difficult for the bowlers. It is very difficult to get a wicket in such conditions, when there is nothing there," Gill had said after the Edgbaston Test.

Gill's criticism, however, was not welcomed by the manufacturer Dilip Jagjodia. In a chat with the Indian Express, he said that he can't give 100% guarantee for every ball that is manufactured. But, the criticism also comes from the fact that the modern bats have become a lot more powerful.

"Cricket balls come under criticism all the time. Not just Dukes, it can be SG, Kookaburra. You need to give a brand new ball for a Test, making it a product that can't be tested. And since it is made out of natural raw materials, you can't 100 percent guarantee that every ball will be perfect. Nobody on the planet can make something like that. I keep telling everybody, the bats have changed, they're very powerful, the players are stronger, they're hitting the ball out of the ground far more often. Take the Indian captain, Shubman Gill, he's not known to be a six-hitter. He is a very good-looking orthodox batsman, but he was hitting sixes. The ball is clattering into pillars and benches all that and the ball," he said.

On Gill's complaint that the ball was going soft too early, Jagjodia said that it's quite natural for that to happen.

"A cricket ball is also supposed to go soft over a period of time, that's why you get a new ball at 80 overs. But you know, we live in an impatient world. So after 30 overs, if they haven't got whatever they've received - the number of wickets - they're looking to change the ball with the hope that the new ball they get hold of will be harder. But at the end of the day, there have been results in this series. There have been high scores, so the batsmen were not disadvantaged and India took 20 wickets. What else can the ball do? The game also lasted for five days," he asserted.

Topics mentioned in this article

Cricket India Cricket Team England Cricket Team England vs India, 2025 Rishabh Pant Shubman Gill