Ravichandran Ashwin criticises SG ball quality after India register record win

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin hit out at the quality of SG balls, even as India thrashed West Indies by an innings and 272 runs inside three days in the opening Test at the Saurashtra Cricket Association stadium in Rajkot on Saturday.

Criticising the quality of the SG balls, Ashwin said that this brand of football has fallen behind the Kookaburra and Duke balls both in terms of its quality and its grip.

“Right now I would say Kookaburra red ball is a lot better ball, Dukes is also right up there. Pretty disappointed with the current SG ball. It used to be top-notch, the seam used to stand up strong even after 70-80 overs. It’s not the same anymore.”

The Kookaburra ball is used in Australia, while the Duke is used in Australia. The SG balls are meanwhile used in most Asian conditions.

Also Read: India vs West Indies: Kuldeep Yadav creates unique Test record in opening match victory

Ashwin had earlier taken four wickets for just 37 runs in 11 overs in the first innings of the West Indies, bundling them for 181 in reply to India’s mammoth score of 649/9 declared.

Asked to follow-on, the Caribbean side attempted to counter the spinners by smashing them out of the park but were thwarted by the chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, who in the second innings took a five-wicket haul to become the first Indian chinaman to take five-wickets in a Test match innings. He is also only the seventh bowler to have a five-wicket haul in each of the three formats.

West Indies were eventually bowled for 196 in the second essay losing by an innings and 227 runs inside three days. Kirron Powell made a fighting 83, but none of the other batsmen could stand tall as the visitors succumbed inside three days.

Image Source: DNA India