India’s vice-captain and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant acknowledged that the recurring problems with the Dukes ball during the ongoing Test series in England have been frustrating for the players. Both the Indian and English teams have raised concerns about the poor quality of the Dukes balls, which have been losing their shape or going soft much earlier than expected.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, July 9, ahead of the third Test at Lord’s, Rishabh Pant shared his thoughts on the matter and admitted that the issues with the ball have indeed been bothersome.
“Definitely, I feel it’s a big problem because the ball is getting out of shape. At the same time, it’s not up to us. Visually when you see the ball, you can see the shape. But, the rules are such, unless and until someone changes it, it’s not up to the players.
“In this series, the ball is losing shape too much. That has never happened so much. It’s definitely irritating for the players because every ball plays indifferent. When it becomes softer, sometimes it’s not doing too much. But as soon as they change the ball, it starts to do enough, so as a batter you’ve got to keep adjusting to it. But, at the same time, I feel it’s not good for cricket eventually,” the 27-year-old went on to elaborate.
What happens when the Dukes ball goes soft or out of shape mid-Test? 🤔
Ben Stokes shares his take on how captains and umpires handle it — and why “if it fits through, we keep going” sums up the Test grind perfectly! 💬💪#ENGvIND 👉 3rd TEST starts THU, JULY 10, 2:30 PM |… pic.twitter.com/pURnHULPNn— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 9, 2025
Shubman Gill And Ben Stokes Voice Concerns Over Dukes Ball Quality
Prior to Pant, Indian captain Shubman Gill and England’s skipper Ben Stokes had also voiced their displeasure regarding the quality of Dukes balls used in the current Test series. During a press conference following the Edgbaston Test, Gill remarked:
“It is very difficult for the bowlers. I think more than the wicket, maybe the ball is out of shape very quickly. It gets soft very quickly. I don’t know what it is, whether it is wickets or whatever. It is difficult for the bowlers. It is very difficult to get a wicket in such conditions.”
During the pre-match press conference ahead of the Lord’s Test, Stokes also acknowledged the issues with the Dukes balls currently in use. He stated:
“Whenever we have touring teams come here, there is an issue around the balls going soft, going out of shape. I don’t even think that the rings that we use are Dukes rings. Something that is not ideal but yeah, you have got to deal with it.”
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