Joe Root reckons it’s time to put a ceiling on how often teams can swap the Dukes during a Test. Speaking at stumps on day two at Lord’s, the England batter floated a simple idea: “I personally think that if you want to keep getting the ball changed then each team gets three challenges every 80 overs and that’s it, if you want to get it changed,” he said. “But the rings have to be the right size, not too big.”
Root’s suggestion arrived after another stop-start morning featuring two fresh balls in the space of 48 deliveries. India had asked for a replacement only 10.3 overs into the second new ball, unhappy with how quickly it had gone soft. Jasprit Bumrah had burst through England’s middle order with the original cherry, taking three wickets in 14 balls. Once the switch came, that sting disappeared and Jamie Smith, alongside debutant Brydon Carse, survived the session.
The constant interruptions have irritated both camps across this five-Test series and, to be fair, they’re not new. For about five years captains have complained that the Dukes is losing shape too early, particularly in warmer spells. Root feels a challenge system would tidy things up, reduce the faff and put the onus back on the players. “Sometimes these things happen but you can’t just keep asking and wasting time and slowing the game down at the same time,” he added.
Bumrah, for his part, didn’t dwell on it afterwards, saying he couldn’t even remember how many times the ball was changed on his previous visits. Yet India’s fielders were visibly frustrated when Shubman Gill held the offending sphere up to the umpires. A quick check through the rings, a shake of the head, and out came another box of replacements.
Why is the ball misbehaving? Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd – the company that makes Dukes – admitted this week that “there could be a lot of factors affecting the shape of the ball and that a review may be needed.” Heat, harder pitches, even slightly different batches of leather can all play a part. Root sympathises. “I don’t know the ins and outs of how they make it,” he said. “I do know that they’re handmade so you’re never going to get two balls exactly the same. I do think this summer has been a bit of an anomaly for us. We’re not used to getting this much sun and this much heat and squares as hard and outfields as firm so whether that plays a part or not [I don’t know].”
His answer, ultimately, is to get on with it. “It’s one of those things where if the balls are going out of shape, you change them and you don’t make a big deal out of it. I don’t think it’s the end of the world. I think it adds a different dynamic to the game and you’ve got to be skilful enough to adapt to the changes, whether it stops swinging or starts swinging or does a little bit more.”
While the ball dominated the chat, over-rates crept back into focus. Seven overs vanished on day one; 15 more were lost on the second evening, with play called at 6.33pm. Root kept his counsel but hinted that the challenge system could help here too. “I don’t want to get myself in trouble by trying to rewrite the thing but I think that’s one way of policing the ball thing,” he said. He also pointed to the rare London heatwave: “We’re not used to this are we? Thirty [degrees] in England feels like 45 elsewhere.”
The match itself remains delicately poised. Root converted his overnight 99 into a 37th Test century with the very first ball of the morning, steering England towards a respectable first-innings total. India, chasing their first series win in England since 2007, will resume day three needing to make rapid inroads before the pitch flattens further.
For now, though, the chatter is less about pitches and more about the piece of leather and cork in the bowlers’ hands. Whether the authorities fancy a formal review or a Root-style cap on requests, the pressure is mounting for a clear, practical fix. Until then, expect a few more raised eyebrows – and a few more cardboard boxes of shiny red replacements – every time that measuring ring comes out.
