India raise serious concerns over ball change protocol ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test: Reports

Team India have reportedly expressed their unhappiness over the ball-change protocol heading into the fifth Test against England. The game begins on Thursday, July 31, at The Oval.

Following the ball change fiasco in the third Test at Lord's, India reached out to the ICC match referee, as per a report by The Indian Express. Raising serious concerns, the management highlighted that the hosts were allowed to change balls as per their preference at the start of the game at Lord's.

Furthermore, the report claims that after the second new ball lost shape in England's first innings after just 10 overs, the visitors were given a replacement ball that was 30-35 overs old, hampering their progress in the match.

As per the protocol, the replacement ball must be as old as the original ball. However, the umpires had informed the visitors that no such ball was in stock.

“At Lord’s, after about 10 overs, the Dukes ball lost its shape, something that has been happening so often in the series. 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,” an official was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

The visitors then asked to switch back to the original ball, but were not allowed to do so.

“When you ask for a ball change, you aren’t told about the age of the replacement you will be getting. At Lord’s, we weren’t told that the replacement would be 30 to 35 overs old. If we were told, we would have continued with the deformed ball that was used for 10 overs. The ICC needs to intervene. This rule needs to be changed,” the official added.

Notably, England went on to win the closely fought Test by 22 runs and gained a 2-1 series lead.

---

Can India draw level at The Oval?

India managed to draw the fourth Test in Manchester, keeping their hopes of levelling the series alive. The fifth match at The Oval is thus a must-win for them to draw the series.

The hosts will be without Ben Stokes, who has been ruled out due to a shoulder injury. They will also be without Jofra Archer. While this could come as a ray of hope for the visitors, they have their own set of challenges.

Shubman Gill and Co. will likely miss ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, while Rishabh Pant has already been ruled out of the fifth Test.