"He would have said that he is not enjoying it" - Aakash Chopra on India being questioned for asking for a ball change in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Mohammed Siraj or a particular Indian player can't be questioned for asking for a ball change in England's first innings of the third Test. He pointed out that it would have been a call taken through consensus, with Jasprit Bumrah also being involved in it.

India allowed England to post 387 runs in their first innings after reducing them to 271/7 on Day 2 (Friday, July 11) of the third Test at Lord's. The visitors ended the day at 145/3 in their first innings, trailing the hosts by 242 runs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-commentator noted that Siraj or any other player cannot solely be blamed for asking for a ball change when wickets were falling, highlighting that all stakeholders, including Bumrah, would have been party to the decision.

"The question might have come to your mind that Bumrah was bowling well, so why did Siraj ask and get the ball changed? It doesn't happen alone. If the ball is wobbling a little and not going with a straight seam, you want it to be checked, and there is a consensus there," Chopra said (3:10).

"In that, the bowling captain, and I am sure it's Jasprit Bumrah in this team, when he is playing, he would have said that he is not enjoying it, and let's change the ball. So it's not one guy's decision. It's not even the captain's decision alone. You need the bowlers' full agreement, and this job wouldn't have been done without asking the bowling captain," he added.

India asked for the second new ball to be changed after just 10.3 overs had been bowled with it. England had lost three wickets for 36 runs, with Jasprit Bumrah accounting for all three dismissals, on the second morning before the ball was changed, and added 100 runs for the last three wickets after the change.

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"I am saying the ball should last at least 100 overs" - Aakash Chopra on the Dukes ball issues in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

The Dukes balls have repeatedly gone out of shape during the India-England Test series. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra questioned why the ball had to be changed after just 10 overs when it should retain its shape for at least 100 overs.

"The ball had to be changed after just 10 overs, and when the changed ball came, it was an old ball. Stuart Broad has said that the ball is supposed to last at least 80 overs. I am saying the ball should last at least 100 overs, but the ball is not lasting at all here, and that has been a constant problem," he said.

The former India opener added that the loss of swing after the ball change could be a crucial deciding factor in the Lord's Test, highlighting that it's unlikely to be a high-scoring game.

"I feel this is a game of small margins because this might not be a match where you might score 600-650 runs. Every partnership is important here, and when the ball was changed, the swing became half. Obviously, it's more manageable. I feel the problem with the ball will remain a constant chatter," Chopra observed.

To conclude, Aakash Chopra wondered why a ball can't last 100 overs when the world is talking about reaching Mars. He added that it's a serious problem, which one should feel ashamed about.