ENG vs IND 2025: Dukes manufacturer pushes for rule change after Edgbaston criticism

Dilip Jajodia, owner of the Dukes factory in England, has called for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to review the regulations with respect to when the second new ball could be made available in Test matches. This comes after there were multiple instances Edgbaston Test between England and India when both the teams were dissatisfied with the deteriorated condition of the ball.

Before suggesting the global administrative body to review the current policy on the change of balls, Jajodia hit out at the prevailing mindset of modern-day cricketers for constantly putting the blame on external conditions rather than acknowledging the shortcomings of the pitches or players' cricketing skills.

“Nobody talks about the flatness of the wicket or the form and skill of the bowlers. The Dukes ball is known to be bowler-friendly, and now that five or six centuries are being scored in an innings, everyone is blaming the ball. If anything goes wrong, it’s either the pitch or the ball - never the players. When players get ducks, it’s the pitch. When bowlers don’t get wickets, it’s the ball,” shared Jajodia in an exclusive conversation with Mumbai Mirror.

“Maybe, the game’s authorities should consider allowing the new ball to be taken somewhere between the 60th and 70th over, instead of the current 80th-over rule. They somehow expect the ball to stay hard until the 79.5th over, which, I’m afraid, it is not possible,” he added.

The ball is not a machine-made product where every unit is identical: Jajodia

Jajodia elaborated on the complicated ball-making process and commented that it was not an intentional effort from the makers of the Dukes ball to compromise on quality. 

“No two cowhides are the same. So, there’s a bit of nature involved. The ball is not a machine-made product where every unit is identical. The ball is supposed to deteriorate; it’s not a rock. As far as we, the manufacturers, are concerned, the ball is not being made to fail. We have not lowered our standards or changed our processes,” he noted.

Despite India winning the second Test by a comprehensive margin, skipper Shubman Gill voiced his frustration over the ball's nature post the game and it becoming an unfair prospect for the bowlers.

“Even more than the pitch, the ball is going soft and going out of shape very quickly. If you know there are only 20 overs of any help, and then you have to spend the rest of the day on the defensive, thinking only about how to stop the runs, then the game loses its essence,” Gill had shared after the game.

For the unversed, Test matches in England, Ireland and West Indies are played with the Dukes ball. It is a ball that has had a reputation for assisting the fast bowlers due to its hard and pronounced seam.