An unexpected incident involving Yashasvi Jaiswal took place in the morning session of Day 1 of the fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford.
The young Indian opener was left baffled when his bat broke while defending a delivery from Chris Woakes, an incident that forced a halt in play and also brought back the questions over the construction of the Duke’s ball, albeit in a different light.
In the ninth over of India’s innings, Jaiswal went for a simple back-foot defence against a short-of-length ball from Woakes. But what should’ve been a routine block turned dramatic, as the impact cracked the bat near the neck and visibly bent the willow.
Surprised, Jaiswal had to walk away to fetch a replacement. Interestingly, the delivery was just 126kph on the speed radar, which sparked speculation on whether the Duke’s ball had suddenly become harder than expected.
The debate isn’t new. Throughout the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series, players from both sides have repeatedly raised concerns about the inconsistency of the Dukes ball. The unusually dry English summer and docile pitches have seen bowlers struggle for movement, and teams have often requested ball changes due to rapid softening. This particular breakage, however, turned the conversation on its head: was the ball now too hard?
Duke’s owner’s earlier warning
Dilip Jagjodia, manufacturer of the Dukes ball, had earlier acknowledged the criticism but dismissed any major deviation from established production standards. He had pointed out the fine line manufacturers must walk between durability and damage.
“If I made a really hard ball, it would have broken bats,” Jagjodia was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
“That’s the problem, we have to be careful. If people are adventurous players, they might be tempted to do it. That would be disastrous.”
Jagjodia also clarified the rules that guide the lifespan of the ball in Test matches. “The laws of the game are that the ball has to deteriorate over 80 overs. So, the ball has to play 80 overs, it gradually gets worse. You can’t suddenly come after 20 overs and say, this ball is not doing what I want or what it does.”
He added that every ball is crafted with precision, following British standards. “I’m a very stickler for the rules, I make sure that we do the best we can. I select the balls personally… they are the most beautiful things on the planet. When you play with them, that’s out of my control.”