Dukes ball owner clarifies the air around the conspiracy during the fifth test

A ball changing incident that has shaken an otherwise hotly contested Ashes series has been vehemently denied by Dukes’ owner that he would ever launch an investigation. The owner of the Dukes Balls, Dilip Jajodia, claimed that the side that lost the Test (at the Oval) is creating an unnecessary controversy and that he is not the right person to look into the matter. 

The Owner of Dukes Ball said

“There is no conspiracy,” he said. “Well, I didn’t actually say I wanted to do an investigation. Okay? Misquoted!,” he stated emphatically. “Everybody seems to want to do (an) investigation. I don’t know what, why there is a point of making an investigation,” Jajodia told Cricbuzz. 

Jajodia denied that the box that on-field umpires Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena checked had a ball from the 2019 batch, which was known to swing more than the most recent batch.

“It is absolutely false. There is no evidence that a 2019 ball had gone (there). I mean, I don’t know who says this and nobody does any checks. It’s not to have a ball going back four or five years, you know, in the spare box, ball box. So that’s the end of it. There’s no conspiracy, so to speak,” he added. 

After Australia‘s change of ball 37 overs into their second innings, when they were cruising along at zero for 140, the Test appeared to take an unexpected turn. Ultimately, they were outscored 334 to lose the game by 49 runs. Jajodia made an effort to elucidate how the game’s wonderful uncertainties might have included all of this.

“Well, basically they are alleging that the changed ball performed more to the advantage of the English bowlers. But what they are not saying is that the weather conditions also changed. And maybe the English bowlers were in better form. Yes. You see, the marvellous thing about cricket is that it’s not entirely predictable. You know, there are changes that can happen. And even a bowler starts an inning and bowls five or six overs of mediocre rubbish and then he comes back in his second spell and suddenly finds his form and he can pick up three wickets.

“You know, that’s what cricket’s about. And it surprises me that people are always looking for excuses to create a drama. At the end of the day, the Australians lost. And so they’re alleging that. The ball had to be changed because it hit Usman Khawaja on his helmet. There’s nothing wrong with the ball. So it’s the end of the matter. There is no probe, nothing,” concluded. 

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