Stuart Broad, Nasser Hussain go berserk over Dukes ball controversy in Lord’s Test

Former England National Cricket Team players Stuart Broad and Nasser Hussain have shared their bold views on the Dukes ball controversy in the Lord’s Test.

The Dukes balls have been at the centre of attention during the third Test of the five-match series between the India National Cricket Team and the England National Cricket Team.

Also Read: Watch: Joe Root grabs one-handed blinder in Lord’s Test to break Rahul Dravid’s record for most Test catches

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Team India unhappy with the Dukes balls

The Dukes balls have been at the receiving end of the criticism in the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as it loses its shape quickly and leaves the bowling team frustrated.

After the second new ball was taken by India after 80.1 overs, it had to be changed twice more, after 90.4 overs and 98.4 overs in the Lord's Test match.

India skipper Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj were even furious with the replacement ball and were engaged in heated chats with the on-field umpire, Sharfuddoula.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah shone with the original ball and bagged three wickets in his first 14 deliveries, dismissing Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Chris Woakes, but went wicketless in the rest of the session. The second new ball had swung 1.869 degrees and seamed 0.579 degrees on average, while the replacement ball swung 0.855 degrees and seamed 0.594 degrees, as per ESPNcricinfo.

The cricket ball should be like a fine wicket-keeper - Stuart Broad

Looking at Indian players getting frustrated with the softness of the balls, the legendary England pacer Stuart Broad took to X to slam the Dukes ball manufacturers.

He stated that the Dukes balls have had a problem for five years now, which is unacceptable, and there is an urgent need to fix the issue. Broad asserted:

"The cricket ball should be like a fine wicket keeper. Barely noticed. We are having to talk about the ball too much because it is such an issue & being changed virtually every innings. Unacceptable. Feels like it’s been 5 years now. Dukes have a problem. They need to fix it. A ball should last 80 overs. Not 10."

The cricket ball should be like a fine wicket keeper. Barely noticed. We are having to talk about the ball too much because it is such an issue & being changed virtually every innings. Unacceptable. Feels like it’s been 5 years now.
Dukes have a problem. They need to fix it. A…

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) July 11, 2025

The first thing is that there's a serious issue with the Dukes ball - Nasser Hussain

Speaking on Sky Sports, former England captain Nasser Hussain acknowledged that there is a serious issue with the Dukes ball, but added that the balls being changed too often is not the ideal thing. He also felt that India asking for a ball change despite it 'doing something' was a wrong call. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said:

"The first thing is that there's a serious issue with the Dukes ball. Both captains talked about it before the game. We've seen it in this game: in this session, it's been changed twice. We've seen it in the last few years, really, the Dukes ball going out of shape.

"The second point at play here is that I think the ball is changed too often. I think we're getting a bit precious about cricket balls. In the history of the game, the cricket ball gets old, and the cricket ball gets soft. I think we're getting a bit addicted to having the perfect cricket ball for 80 overs."