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After yet another season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) came to an end, the focus has now shifted to towards the ICC World Test Championship set to be played between India and Australia at the Oval in London starting on June 7. Ahead of the summit clash, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has taken a massive decision with regards to its playing conditions. The world cricket governing body has confirmed which ball will be used for this fixture.
In preparation for the highly significant World Test Championship (WTC) final, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced that the Dukes ball will be utilized. This decision adds an additional challenge for both teams, as they must adapt to the unique characteristics and difficulties presented by the Dukes ball. Unlike the Kookaburra ball, which is primarily machine-stitched, the Dukes ball is meticulously hand-stitched. This hand-stitching process results in more prominent and long-lasting thread on the ball’s surface. Consequently, the Dukes ball is renowned for its enhanced ability to swing, making scoring runs a more formidable task for the batters.
The Dukes ball will be a challenge for both India and Australia. While Test matches in India use the SG ball, Australia is used to the Kookabura ball. In that sense, the WTC Final will become a level-playing field for both the teams. However, it should also be noted that it is usually in these conditions that the Aussie bowlers have done well, with the Kangaroos having managed to retain the Ashes in 2019. Having said that, the Indian pace bowling brigade has also come to its own in the last few years and the unit led by Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj won’t be an easy one to score against.
Meanwhile, India all-rounder Axar Patel also revealed that the Indian spinners set to be part of the WTC Final have already been practicing with the Dukes ball during the IPL and so they would be able to adapt to it without much problem. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be India’s preferred spin options for this fixture.
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