‘It may not feel fair, hopefully, ICC will look at it’ - Usman Khawaja perplexed with umpire’s decision to change ball in Ashes finale

On Day 4 of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval, on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Joel Wilson decided to change the ball as it altered its shape after hitting Usman Khawaja’s helmet. The ball that was picked didn’t really impress Australia and Khawaja even questioned the reason behind the umpires picking a new leather rather than an old one. However, to his surprise, Dharmasena informed Khawaja that there were no other balls in the box.

Recalling the entire incident, Khawaja stated that the new ball was very different as it helped the home team massively. The ball was bouncing and swinging even in the 95th over and that is something that the Pat Cummins-led side didn’t enjoy. Khawaja even went on to add that the ball felt harder and thus, he expects ICC to intervene and take note of the matter.

“I walked straight up to Kumar and said straightaway, ‘That ball looks nothing like the one we were playing with. It felt harder than any ball I‘ve faced in this Ashes series – and I’ve opened the batting against the new ball every single time. I asked Joel again today, ‘How are we using this ball right now? It’s so new’. And he said, ‘There was nothing else in the box,’” Khawaja said while talking to cricket.com.au.

Unfortunately, that's the hand you get dealt sometimes: Usman Khawaja

“Personally, I think if there’s nothing else in the box that can match the ball you have, you can’t really change it. It‘s a bit frustrating as a batting unit because we worked our backsides off for 36 overs and then they changed the ball. As an opener, you work so hard to get through to there and then you‘re facing a new ball again. That ball was 95 overs in and still hooping and bouncing. Unfortunately, that’s the hand you get dealt sometimes in cricket. It may not feel fair, but … hopefully, the ICC can learn from it and try to look at that ball to change the process,” Khawaja added.

Meanwhile, England won the final match of the series by 49 runs in order to finish the series on level terms. Australia however retained the Ashes but England will take the moral victory as they were 2-0 down and made an empathic return to finish the series 2-2.