Khawaja was the first to question the change in ball that helped England win the fifth Test

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London. Australia opener Usman Khawaja has questioned the change of ball during the second innings of the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2023 series at The Oval after England won the match and leveled the series.

Although Australia retained the Ashes urn despite a 2–2 draw in the five-match series, Pat Cummins’ team were unhappy with the ball change, which they felt was not done properly and a ball that compared to the old one. I see ‘new’. As a result, England began their collapse by dismissing the Australian batsmen.

Two balls later a Mark Wood bouncer hit his helmet so hard that the ball was out of shape, Khawaja was the first Australian batsman to express his concern about the ball, and went to umpire Kumar Dharmasena to claim that replacement The ball being introduced is taking much more movement than the old one.

Cricket.com.au quoted Khawaja as saying after the match, “I went straight up to Kumar and said straight out, ‘This ball doesn’t look like what we were playing. I can see the results’.”

Khawaja said, “It felt harder than any ball I’ve faced in this Ashes series – and I’ve opened the bat against the new ball every time. I said, ‘I don’t know what’s happening – You have replaced an old, reverse (swinging) ball with a brand new ball.

The cricket.com.au website reported in a report, “England were handed a very bright red ball in the first 10 overs, on which Khawaja again sported the Dukes’ golden insignia (while it was worn on the ball that was traded). The bowlers were forcing mistakes every other ball on an average.

Several Australian cricketers, including former captain Ricky Ponting, questioned the umpires for choosing new-looking replacements over older ones, and Ponting called for an ICC investigation.

Khwaja said he had also protested to Dharmasena’s counterpart Joel Wilson.

Khawaja said, “I asked Joel again today, ‘How are we using this ball right now? It’s very new.’ And he said, ‘There was nothing else in the box’.” Khawaja had put on 140 for the first wicket with Warner.

“Personally I think if there’s nothing else in the box that can match the ball you have, you can’t really replace it. It’s a bit disappointing as a batting unit because we played 36 overs. Till the ball he worked on and then he changed the ball.

“As an opening batsman, you work very hard to get there and then you have to face a new ball. That ball had been 95 overs and was still bouncing.”

He said, “Unfortunately in cricket sometimes you have to behave like this. It may not seem fair, but… hopefully the ICC can learn from this and change the process to look at that ball.” Might try.”

The Laws of Cricket require a replacement ball to be “at least as worn as that received by the previous ball before replacement was required.”

(IANS)

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