The duke ball which has been long used in test matches in england has come under Severe criticism like never before. With the conditions in English unusually dry this summer and flat decks being the favorite one for engine, wickets have come at a premium. And more importantly, in the two things of the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy so far, bot teams have repeatedly asked for a change of ball and even saying openly that the duke ball has to be very soon. Despite India Taking 20 English Wickets to Win The Edgbaston Test, Captain Shubman Gill Had thisis to say about the duke ball. “It is very different for the bowlers. For the bowlers. As the duke ball faces intense scrutiny, its manufacturer dilip jagjodia spoke to the Indian express.
Excerpts.
Q: The Duke Balls are in the Spotlight Again?
A: Cricket Balls Come under criticism all the time. Not just duke, it can be sg, kookaburra. You need to give a brand new ball for a test, making it a product that can be tested. And Since it is made out of natural raw materials, you can ‘100 percent guarantee that every ball will be perfect. Nobody on the planet can make something like that. I keep telling everybody, the bats have changed, they very powerful, the players are stronger, they are hitting the ball out of the ground far more often. Take the Indian captain, Shubman Gill, He’s not known to be a six-hitter. He is a very good-loting orthodox batsman, but he was hitting sixes. The ball is clattering into pillars and benches all that and the ball.
Dukes Ball (File Photo)
Q: It is being said they become softer early in the test…
A: A cricket ball is also supposed to go soft over a period of time, that is why you get a new ball at 80 overs. But you know, we live in an impatient world. So after 30 overs, if they have been given they ” the number of wickets – they are looking to change the ball with the hop that new ball they get hold of will be harder. But at the end of the day, there have been the results in this series. There have been high scores, so the batsmen were not disadvantaged and India Took 20 wickets. What else can the ball do? The game also lashed for five days.
Q: Is the criticism of cricket balls fair?
A: Cricket is not a static game. This year the summer has been warmer. I was in Bengali 10 days ago, it was coler there than in london. It was very dry, very warm and they covered the pitches in february. So there is no actual water on the pitches so there are loads of very nice cricket pitches. If a test gets over in two-and-a half-day, they say duke ball is bowler-independently. If it is a drink and they get hundreds of runs and then they still get a result, they don’t give you credit for that. Now, they say, the duke ball can’t get wickets.
Q: You have a set template or a fixed process to make duke balls?
A: Making a cricket ball is a long process and we work to a standard. We’er making the balls to the original British Standard. I’m a very stickler for the rules, I make sure that we do the best we can. I select the balls personally, I present them, and if you look at them, they are the most beautiful things on the planet. When you play with them, that’s out of my control. How many runs have been scored, who hit the ball, these are the variations.
Q: So Ball Making isnt a Mechanical Process ..
A: We are grappling with raw materials which are slightly variable. Human beings are involved in making the product and so, there is some little knock-on effect on balls. Just empty your brain, picture that these balls are getting hit all day. It is a miracle they do not changed after every two hours. We keep everything under review, but I can’t change anything dramatically. If something is wrong, we have to identify it and get it right the next time. It is not possible to make any product with natural materials like an engineered product like steel. They have a serren thickness of steel, cut into a machine. Like you can make two cars with the exact specification. Cricket Balls are not engineered products, this is a craft product.
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Q: How touch is it to get the balance right when it comes to soft or hard cricket balls?
A: If I make a really hard ball, it would have broken bats. That is the problem, we have to be careful. If people are adventurous players, they are tempted to do it. That would be disastrous. The laws of the game are that ball has to deteriorate over 80 overs. So the ball has to play 80 overs, it gradually gets worse. You can Suddenly come after 20 overs and say, this ball is not doing what I want or what it doesn’t. If there is something genuinely wrong, then it is the option to change it.