"The suggestion itself is ludicrous" - Surrey spokesperson on if Dukes ball from an old batch was selected as a replacement in the 5th Ashes Test 

Despite the 2023 Ashes being done and dusted almost a week back, the backlash from the events that transpired has not yet subsided. Among several controversial moments over the course of the five-match series, the one which is still fresh in memory is the ball swap on Day 4 of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval.

England were in search of inspiration as Australia were cruising in their pursuit of the 384-run target in the final innings. After being nowhere close to producing a wicket across the first 36 overs, a ball swap saw a change in fortunes for the hosts. Led by Chris Woakes, England claimed all 10 wickets on the final day as the Aussies collapsed from 264-3 to 334 all out.

Dukes' owner Dilip Jajodia suggested the unlikely possibility of a ball from an old, infamous batch being selected as the replacement. The company is likely to launch an internal investigation on the matter as well.

Given that Surrey County is in charge of the proceedings at The Oval, the spotlight glares on them, especially since the ICC has also backed away from making a statement on the incident.

A Surrey spokesperson told Britain‘s PA news agency:

“Mr Jajodia is correct to say that Dukes balls are supplied to The Oval and to Surrey CCC ahead of the season for use in matches and training. These balls can also be used as match replacements, as seen during the Test."

“There were a wide selection of balls available to the umpires at all times, with a variety of conditions to choose from, and that decision is entirely at their discretion. We reject entirely the assertion that a ball from 2018 or 2019 could have been available for selection and think the suggestion itself is ludicrous,” The spokesperson added.

The vast difference in seam movement and swing was evident, leading to Usman Khawaja confronting the on-field umpires on separate occasions and Ricky Ponting demanding an investigation during commentary.

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"if you have a look in that box, there weren’t too many older-condition balls in there" - Ricky Ponting on the ball change during the fifth Ashes Test

Australia had to win the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval to win the series outright and end a 21-year-old streak of losing in England. The Aussies were placed well at Stumps on Day 4, with all 10 wickets intact.

Australia imploded on the final day of the Ashes against the replacement ball. Former captain Ricky Ponting expressed his frustration over the lack of suitable options for the umpires to choose from.

He said on Sky Sports during the lunch break on Day 5:

“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. Now if you have a look in that box, there weren’t too many older-condition balls in there. There were some older ones that were picked up, the umpires looked at that and threw them back,” Ponting added.

The Ashes ultimately ended in a 2-2 draw, with Pat Cummins and Co. retaining the urn by virtue of heading into the series as the current holders.