India's team management has raised a concern regarding what they perceive as an unfair ball-change process in the third Test at Lord's, and this is believed to have impacted the result of the match in England's favour. In a report published by The Indian Express, the visiting side felt that the replacement ball handed to them was not in the same condition as the original, thus compromising their ability to work under pressure during a crucial stage of the game.
The controversy erupted when the second new ball employed by India lost its shape only 10 overs into its use while England was batting in their first innings. According to ICC, the replacement ball should closely resemble the condition and usage of the original. But Indian players were allegedly given a replacement ball that looked 30 to 35 overs old, quite unlike the relatively fresh second new ball they had been using.
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“At Lord’s, after about 10 overs, the Dukes ball lost its shape, something that has been happening so often in the series,” an Indian team official told the newspaper.
“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.”
However, this was timely shift in ball condition for India. Jasprit Bumrah had only just devastated England's middle order, taking the crucial wickets of Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Chris Woakes in just a spell of 14 balls. But after the ball change, India's momentum seemed to disappear.
“Check the scoreboard to see how the game changed after that. The bowlers lost their swing and England scored with ease,” the official said.
Angry at the development, the Indian team even asked for permission to continue using the misshapen original ball, but their request was denied according to ICC rules.
Statistical analysis from ESPNcricinfo supports India's complaint. The original ball was producing an average of 1.869 degrees of swing and 0.579 degrees of seam movement. Subsequent to the switch, the replacement ball provided only 0.855 degrees of swing reducing India's lead by over half.
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England went on to win the match by a slim 22 runs, taking the five-match series 2-1. India's management has complained that England were given preferential access to more beneficial replacement balls in previous matches of the series, leading to the official complaint to the match referee.
The ball-change row has now been brought to cast a shadow on the series as well, with India believing that an otherwise potentially crucial moment in the game was tainted by inconsistent protocol and suspect officiating.