The Ashes 2023 ended on a thrilling note with England defeating Australia in the fifth and final Test to level the series 2-2. The gripping match saw intense cricketing action, but it also became the centre of a heated debate due to a ball-change tactic employed by England on the final day of the match.
England had a big task on the last day of the Test where they needed to take seven wickets to secure the draw and avoid a maiden series loss under Ben Stokes’ captaincy. With incredible determination and team effort, England managed to accomplish the task in 94.4 overs, leaving fans at the Oval in awe. Notably, in response to a challenging target set by England, Australia fought valiantly but fell short by 49 runs, getting bundled out for 334.
Controversy over the ball-change event
Throughout the series, the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow remained the biggest talking point, but it was after the conclusion of the fifth Test that a fresh controversy emerged. Australian opener Usman Khawaja and former captain Ricky Ponting expressed their dissatisfaction with the replacement ball used by England on the final day.
Also READ: Ricky Ponting calls for a thorough inquiry over a ball change saga at the Oval Test
The Dukes ball failed to swing for England’s fast bowlers, allowing Australian openers Khawaja and David Warner to survive the initial burst. As a result, England turned to spin bowling after just nine overs. However, when Australia were cruising at 126/0, Khawaja suffered a nasty blow to the helmet in the 37th over bowled by Mark Wood. Subsequently, the umpires decided to change the ball.
The ball change turned the tide in England’s favor, as their pacers suddenly found significant swing with the new ball. Australia lost three wickets in quick succession, shifting the momentum back towards England.
Aussies express their disappointment
Following the match’s conclusion, Ponting, known for his vocal nature, expressed his frustration and raised questions about the replacement ball’s condition. He highlighted the discrepancy between the original ball and the one used as a replacement.
“The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace. There’s no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable. If you are going to change the ball, you want to make sure that you get it right, so it is as close as you possibly can to the one that you’re changing it from. What I saw last night, that ball there, I’ll put my hand up and say I’ve got absolutely no doubt at all that that ball would not have done anywhere near as much as what that one did this morning. Double the amount of movement this morning from yesterday afternoon, seam movement and swing. I think it’s a huge blunder that needs to be investigated,” said Ponting in a video shared by Sky Sports.
Also READ: From Usman Khawaja to Chris Woakes: Here are the star performers of Ashes 2023
Veteran Aussie journalist Peter Lalor shared two images comparing the old ball and the replacement chosen by umpires, highlighting its impact on Australia’s performance.
A ball change has changed the game. The one on the right is newer, swinging and seaming dramatically more than the last one and arguably has cost Australia 3 wickets. pic.twitter.com/CJUfGIuIHv
— Peter Lalor (@plalor) July 31, 2023
Senior Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell raised eyebrows with a tweet warning about the impact of the second new ball in the Ashes. He simply wrote: “Beware the 2nd newy #ashes”
Beware the 2nd newy #ashes
— Glenn Maxwell (@Gmaxi_32) July 31, 2023
Journalist Louis Cameron from Cricket.com.au shared a revealing stat comparing Australian batters’ false shot percentage before and after the ball change.
Aussies batters playing and missing/false shot percentage in this innings:
Before the ball change: 16%
In the 10 overs after the ball change: 38%#Ashes— Louis Cameron (@LouisDBCameron) July 31, 2023
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