‘Players need to realize…’: Dukes ball manufacturer speaks up on Indian bowlers’ issue with the ball during Lord’s Test

The Dukes ball- used in Test cricket- has recently been on the receiving end from the players in the ongoing five-match series between India and England. Now, the owner of the manufacturing- Dilip Jajodia- has come out and shared his views on the issue. Dilip wishes the players to be more patient and reasonable with how they come up in this controversial subject.

For context- the ball was changed twice in the first session of day 2 of the Lord’s Test. The team asked for the ball to be changed after 10 overs, and then asked for another change a few minutes later.
Speaking on the sidelines of Day 2 of the Lord’s Test, Dilip Jajodia stated that his company is open to make improvements on the ball and demand of the modern game where the batters are hitting the balls with heavy bats.

“There are only three recognized manufacturers in world cricket (Dukes, SG and Kookaburra). It’s not easy (making a cricket ball). And if it was easy, there’d be hundreds and hundreds of manufacturers around the world. So I think the players need to realize that we are not sitting back doing nothing. We’re trying our best. And if there’s an issue, it will be reviewed and we look at it and see where the problem is, whether it is a fault with the leather or there’s a fault with something else. We will look into it,” Jajodia said.

Jajodia spoke about a number of factors that may have contributed to the ball getting soft and out of shape rather quickly.
“Weather is quite a major factor, playing conditions, the type of cricket being played, the type of bats being used, the strength of the players. You have to accept that there are changes. The bats are very powerful. The ball is hitting outside the boundary hard objects from time to time. And when you look at a ball, it’s a miracle that it lasts 80 overs. And if these changes need adaptation, then that is something that the authorities have to consider.”

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