Joe Root enters in a dispute with Shubman Gill; labels India's ball-change a DRAMA

Joe Root has delivered a blistering statement on the chaos that unfolded on Day 2 of the ongoing third Test against India at Lord’s, where England had to deal with multiple ball changes. Amidst the uproar, Joe Root downplayed the ball change drama and backed his team’s ability to adapt.

Usually, the Test teams are allowed to change the ball after at least 80 overs. In some cases, like the change of the shape, the umpires are allowed to make final calls.

But in the ongoing third Test at Lord’s, several balls went out of shape much earlier than expected, forcing the players, especially the Indians, to intervene again and again, and the umpires had to change multiple times.

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Joe Root reacts to ball change drama at Lord’s

Day 2 saw several balls going out of shape, forcing early replacements. Each new ball brought a different challenge, sometimes swinging more and sometimes not at all, creating a tricky situation for both batters and bowlers at Lord’s. The constant interruptions raised many eyebrows.

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The Indian team was upset after the second new ball was changed just 10.3 overs into use. Jasprit Bumrah had taken three quick wickets with the original ball, but after the change, India couldn’t take another wicket in the first session against England.

The ball was replaced again after just 48 more deliveries, raising concerns over the Duke's ball’s poor quality. There was a lot of drama over the balls at Lord’s.

You've got to be skillful enough to adapt to the changes: Joe Root

Despite the disruptions, Root made it clear that England wouldn’t let this throw them off and sees it as just a new challenge to embrace.

Joe Root said at the press conference after the end of Day 2, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo: “It's one of those things where if the balls are going out of shape, you change them, and you don't make a big deal out of it. I don't think it's the end of the world.

I think it adds a different dynamic to the game, and you've got to be skillful enough to adapt to the changes, whether it stops swinging or starts swinging or does a little bit more.”

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Joe Root suggests a new rule to handle ball issues in Tests

After several frustrating ball changes in the ongoing Test series against India, Root has come up with a new idea to solve the problem. He has suggested that each team should be allowed to change the ball up to three times within 80 overs, even if the shape of the ball is not changed.

The seasoned England batter further explained, “I personally think that if you want to keep getting the ball changed, then each team gets three challenges every 80 overs, and that's it if you want to get it changed. But the rings have to be the right size, not too big.”

Root, who smashed his 37th Test century on Day 2 at Lord's, signed off by saying, “That would be a nice way of compromising and saying it's not all on the manufacturer. Sometimes these things happen, but you can't just keep asking and wasting time and slowing the game down at the same time.”