Stokes, Pant bemoan quick-to-soften Dukes balls

The sight of both England and India players constantly walking to the umpires seeking ball change in both Leeds and Birmingham has been frustrating. That sentiment was expressed openly by both Ben Stokes and Rishabh Pant on the eve of the Lord's Test with the England captain even questioning whether the ball gauge used was ideal to measure the Dukes ball.

"Whenever we have touring teams visiting, there is an issue with the balls going soft and completely out of shape," Stokes said ahead of the third Test at Lord's. "I don't even think the rings that we use are Dukes rings. It isn't ideal. But you have to deal with it."

A gauge, which has two rings, is used by umpires to check the state of the ball. The ball needs to pass through one ring and not the other to be deemed still in shape. Anything else means the ball is out of shape and can be changed. However, bowling teams have often been left frustrated after umpires have disallowed their request for the ball to be changed, despite it going soft and losing its seam.

On the second day of the Leeds Test, Pant threw the ball into the ground after the umpires refused to replace the ball, which he felt was out of shape. The ICC reprimanded Pant and sanctioned him with one demerit point for an offence he accepted.

When told about the opinion expressed by Stokes today, Pant jokingly said that he would stick to the same ball gauge, but the rings could be "smaller". But the Indian vice-captain pointed out it was "irritating" to keep encountering the Dukes going out of shape very quickly during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

"I feel it is a big problem because the ball is getting out of shape," Pant said. "In this series, the ball is getting de-shaped (out of shape) too much. That is something I've never seen. It is definitely irritating for the players because every ball plays differently. When it becomes softer, sometimes it doesn't do too much, but as soon as you change the ball it starts to do something. As a batsman, you keep on adjusting to that, but at the same time, it is not good for cricket overall."

Stokes expressed similar remarks. "If you feel the ball has gone out of shape, then you check it with the umpire. If it goes through the rings, it goes through the rings, and you crack on. Hopefully, eventually it goes that badly out of shape that you are able to change it. Every bowling team seems to struggle with it, and it seemed a big issue last week at Edgbaston. If it fits through we keep going, if it doesn't we get a new one."