The Indian Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar considered the growing debate on the quality of the Dukes ball, which is used in the ongoing test series between India and England. Bhuvneshwar, known for his control and the ability to swing the ball in two way, admitted that the ball does not offer as much movement as he was expected this time, and believes it is difficult to determine the only reason behind the problem.
During the third Lord’s test, the Duke ball came under intensive control, with several contemporary and former players to express concern about its quality. Frequent changes in the ball and a noticeable deficiency of the swings made it the main speaking in the match. While many of them quickly criticized the manufacturer, Bhuvneshwar offered a more measured view of the situation.
“It will be difficult to say exactly what happened. It could be ball, goals or even weather. We are generally not talking about the weather, but it changes for many reasons,” he said in an interview with sport.
Bhuvneshwar has recognized the development of the game in recent years, especially when the dough is becoming more aggressive and is not afraid to take over the pitch from the beginning. He noted that in such a climate where the tabs tend to control, the hosters rarely gain recognition they deserve, even though they put hard shifts.
“I don’t know exactly what the reason is, but of course, yes, the cricket has changed a little. Whether it is aggressively playing or creating playgrounds, it was difficult for the pitch.
Indian superiors had a challenging time in the ongoing series, with England currently led 2-1 and dominated the fourth test in Old Trafford. Opening Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett got hosts for a flying start in the first shifts with a score of 84 and 94, which again put pressure back on the Indian bowling unit.
With a series on the line is now on India to create a fight. Whether the Duke ball starts to behave differently in the coming days, it remains to be seen.
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Published:
Amar Pancker
Published on:
July 25, 2025
