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Apart from the challenging conditions on offer, a factor that often comes into the discussion when India visit England is the Dukes ball that is used in the UK.
There are three main manufacturers of cricket balls used in different counties around the world.
The SG ball is manufactured in India. It is used in international matches in India as well as in domestic competitions like the Ranji Trophy.
The Kookaburra ball is manufactured in Australia. Apart from the Kangaroos, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe also use the Kookaburra ball for their Test matches.
The Dukes ball, our main subject of discussion, is the third type used in Test cricket. Apart from England, West Indies and Ireland also make use of the Dukes ball.
In this article, we will take a deeper look into how the Dukes ball is different from the Kookaburra and the SG, and why it is preferred in England.
Dukes ball vs Kookaburra and SG
The Dukes ball is a hand-stitched ball and has the most prominent seam of the three balls in use in Test matches. It thus offers help to bowlers for a longer duration.
The SG ball is also hand-stitched and has been used in India in Tests since the 1990s. The seam of the SG ball is also prominent. However, in recent times, seasoned Indian cricketers like Ravichandran Ashwin and skipper Virat Kohli have expressed displeasure over the quality of the SG ball. They complained that the seam of SG ball used in the first Test against England in Chennai earlier this year was tearing up faster than usual.
The Kookaburra ball is a mix of hand and machine stitching. The two inner rows are hand-stitched, while the two outer rows on each side are machine-stitched. The seam of the Kookaburra ball is less prominent, and hence it offers less swing as compared to the Dukes ball.
Why is the Dukes ball the preferred choice in England?
The six rows of the seam are hand-stitched in a robust manner. As a result, the seam on the ball lasts much longer. In turn, the shape and hardness of the ball are retained, which allows the bowlers to swing the ball for a longer duration and extract more out of the red cherry.
Apart from the seam, the weather conditions in England also allow bowlers to swing the ball for a longer duration. Conditions in England, when Test matches are played, are mostly overcast. The pitches also have a good amount of grass, which aids further movement of the Dukes ball.
In comparison to the SG and the Kookaburra, the Dukes ball moves around a lot more, both in the air and off the pitch. Again, this comes down to the pronounced seam on the ball. This is one of the main reasons why a lot of edges carry to slip fielders in England even late in the day.
What do players have to say about the Dukes ball?
Indian middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari recently played county cricket for Warwickshire. He admitted that the experience of playing against the Dukes ball in English conditions will help in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand as well as the five-match Test series against England.
Asked about his experience of playing against the Dukes ball, Vihari told ESPNcricinfo:
"The Kookaburra gets soft in Australia after a while. But the Dukes does something all day -- off the wicket or in the air. There's always something for the bowlers and that is the key challenge. When I came to England in April, it was quite cold. Even if you believe you are set, you can still be surprised by the movement. Like when I got out in my 30s against Essex, where I thought the wicket was quite good to bat on, but the odd ball was doing something because of the hard seam on the Dukes."
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar, speaking to The Telegraph India, said that bowlers with the ability to generate swing would enjoy bowling with the Dukes ball. He was quoted as saying:
"The Dukes ball has shown that it certainly is one that moves in favorable conditions... so the swing bowlers will enjoy bowling with it for sure. The ball moves a lot more in June in England so it will be a challenge for the batsmen of both teams as both have terrific pace attacks."
Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was critical of the pitches in India during the Test series against England, backed the Englishmen to beat India at home as they are comfortable with the Dukes ball. He told CricTracker:
"England will win. Every time England have gone to India, they have been hammered. And every time, India have come to England, the opposite has happened. England are a team at home that are very tough to beat with the Dukes ball.”
England are currently taking on New Zealand in the first match of the two-Test series. India and New Zealand will then face off in the WTC final in Southampton, starting on June 18. The five-match India-England series will kick-start on August 4 in Nottingham.
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