SG balls going ‘out of shape’, Ashwin prefers kookaburra

Bengaluru: The red SG Test cricket balls, which are used for international and first-class matches in India, have again come under the scanner after premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin openly expressed his preference for the kookaburra balls.
On the opening day of the second cricket Test, the South African first innings saw two ball changes in the 7th and 35th over respectively as the SG Test ball went out of shape. Both umpires Richard Kettleborough and Ian Gould decided to change the balls when they were shown to them by the Indian players.
Similarly, when India batted, there was a ball change after the end of 15th over as it again went out of shape.
With the ball changed three times, the the quality of the red cherry produced by the Indian manufacturers has come under scrutiny.
When Ashwin was asked about the same, he was cautious but expressed his views on the matter.
“I don’t want to pick on a brand and get into trouble. I think the same ball (SG Test) that I bowled in first-class cricket five-six years ago, is not the same (anymore). There is definitely a change as lot of balls are going out of shape. The arm ball is especially for a spinner, (and it) is not sitting high (not gripping and bouncing) at all. At this point of time, I seemed to be enjoying the kookaburra a lot more,” Ashwin said at the end of first day’s play. (PTI)