Root proposes a limit to times ball can be changed, with each team getting three challenges every 80 overs.
Joe Root proposes limit to how often teams can request ball changes.
To alleviate irritation about the Dukes ball being changed so frequently during England’s home Test series against India, Joe Root has suggested that each team be given three opportunities to switch the ball during the course of 80 overs.
At the conclusion of the second day of play in the third Test at Lord’s, he made his idea after India had complained about the second new ball being replaced after only 10.3 overs of use.
With Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse at the crease for the first session, Jasprit Bumrah had already claimed three wickets in his first 14 deliveries with the original, but his team was unable to grab another.
“I personally think that if you want to keep getting the ball changed then each team gets three challenges every 80 overs and that’s it, if you want to get it changed,” Root said when asked about the issue at the close of play. “But the rings have to be the right size, not too big.
“That would be a nice way of compromising and saying it’s not all on the manufacturer. Sometimes these things happen but you can’t just keep asking and wasting time and slowing the game down at the same time.”
“I don’t know the ins and outs of how they make it,” he said. “I do know that they’re handmade so you’re never going to get two balls exactly the same. I do think this summer has been a bit of an anomaly for us. We’re not used to getting this much sun and this much heat and squares as hard and outfields as firm so whether that plays a part or not [I don’t know].
“It’s one of those things where if the balls are going out of shape, you change them, and you don’t make a big deal out of it. I don’t think it’s the end of the world. I think it adds a different dynamic to the game and you’ve got to be skilful enough to adapt to the changes, whether it stops swinging or starts swinging or does a little bit more.”