Watch: Jofra Archer left fuming as umpire rejects ball change request on Day 3 of Lord's Test

Jofra Archer found himself in a heated argument with the umpire over the condition of the ball early on Day 3 of the ongoing third Test between England and India at Lord’s. After bowling the first delivery of the 45th over of India’s innings, Jofra Archer approached the umpire to get the ball changed.

The incident took place when Rishabh Pant nudged a full delivery from Jofra Archer towards mid-wicket and ran a quick single. Right after the delivery, Archer, who was clearly unhappy with how the ball was behaving, walked up to the umpire and requested a ball change.

Jofra Archer left frustrated after umpire refuses ball change on Day 3

The England speedster has pointed out that the ball’s shape had changed. The umpire brought out the ring gauge for the standard test. The ball passed through the ring gauge, and the match official turned down Jofra’s request despite his visible frustration while showing how the ball was smoothly coming out from it, meaning it was still within legal shape limits.

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Jofra tried to convince the umpire, as the fast bowler was showing how the ball lost its shape. But he rejected the request, leaving Jofra fuming as play continued on Day 3 of the ongoing third Test at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.

"Here we go Ath, just to wind you up" 😅🔊 pic.twitter.com/WfR2StcFTK

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 12, 2025

This was not the first time ball-shape issues were raised in the ongoing Test series. Even several balls were used on Day 2 of the ongoing Lord’s Test itself.

Early ball change on Day 3 at Lord’s after Jofra Archer’s complaint

Meanwhile, the ball was changed just 11 overs after Jofra Archer raised a complaint about its condition. The umpires checked the ball and agreed to replace it with a new one from the box and handed it over to Chris Woakes, the England seamer, after the drinks break.

As usual, Joe Root took charge of shining the new ball, doing his bit before tossing it over to England skipper Ben Stokes. With the new ball in hand, Stokes rolled his arm.

Read Also: Watch: Angry Rishabh Pant screams in frustration after missing a big hit off Chris Woakes in Lord's Test

Rishabh Pant's pain returns at Lord’s, but he refuses to walk away

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant gave an injury scare to the Indian camp on Day 3 when the vice-captain suddenly took off his glove and called for the physio. He felt the pain in the same left index finger injury that had already forced him to stay away from wicketkeeping on Day 1 and 2.

The physio rushed out for a quick check, and the tension was visible among the Indian players and fans. With the team management holding its breath, the left-handed batter was given the thumbs up and got back into position to carry forward after a quick assessment by the team physio.

While Pant has notched up his fifty, KL Rahul is just a few runs away from his century, but India is still trailing by 165 runs. England had managed 387 runs in their first innings in the ongoing Lord’s Test. Rahul and Pant are trying their best to continue the moment after India lost Shubman Gill cheaply for 16.