Ball Manufacturer Dukes will look in the ball change controversy of 5th Ashes Test

English ball manufacturing company Dukes is set to investigate the ball change controversy that affected the outcome of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. During the fourth innings run chase, Australia seemed to be cruising towards victory until a ‘replacement’ ball was introduced in the last hour of the fourth day.

Following the ball change, the England bowlers were able to extract considerably more movement from the new ball, causing a collapse in Australia’s batting lineup. The visitors went from 264/3 to 334 all out in just 21 overs on the final day.

Dukes will look into the matter to understand how a ball from the infamous 2018-19 batch, known for troubling batters, might have been used as the replacement ball. The involvement of the county, match referee, and on-field umpires makes such an occurrence highly unlikely. Additionally, the manufacturing date is stamped on each ball, allowing it to be easily distinguishable from others.