“Those two balls are no where comparable,” Ricky Ponting demands INVESTIGATION in ball-change saga during fifth Ashes Test

Ricky Ponting also dragged the fourth umpire too.

“Those two balls are no where comparable,” Ricky Ponting demands INVESTIGATION in ball-change saga during fifth Ashes Test

Ricky Ponting demands investigation in ball change saga (Image via The Independent, ESPNCricinfo)

The 2023 edition of the Ashes series has been marred with controversy. From Ben Stokes’ aggressive declaration in the first Test to Jonny Bairstow getting stumped out by Alex Carey in the second Test, there has been one controversial moment in almost every game. Now, as the two teams fight it out on the last day of the series, a controversy erupted about ball change in the fourth innings. 

As England came out to defend 383 in the fourth innings, Australia got off to a great start. With aggressive batting from Usman Khawaja and David Warner, the ball went out of shape and England asked for a replacement. It turned out to be a lottery for the hosts as the umpires approved a ball that was in much better shape.

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As a result, England got some advantage, getting more movement in the first session on Day 5. They also managed to bag three wickets in the first session. After the pictures of a comparison between the two balls went viral, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting slammed the umpires and accused them of being blase. 

Also Read: Explained: Here is why Ben Stokes’ catch of Steve Smith in fifth Ashes Test was illegitimate

Ricky Ponting calls the ball change a blunder

england get new ball
Old ball on left, new ball on right (Image via Sky Sports Twitter)

The World Cup-winning captain was miffed with the carelessness shown by the umpires. While Ponting accepted that the conditions favored bowling on Day 5, he demanded an investigation into the matter. Ponting wanted to know if it was the fourth umpire’s fault that he did not bring a box with a similar conditioned ball or if it were the on-field umpires.

“The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace the one [that had gone out of shape],” Ponting said on Sky Sports (via ESPNCricinfo). “There’s no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable.“

“I just cannot fathom how two international umpires that have done that a lot of times before can get that so wrong. That is a huge moment in this game, potentially a huge moment in the Test match, and something I think actually has to be investigated: whether there was the right condition of balls in the box, or the umpires have just, blasé, picked one out of there that they think will be okay to use.”

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