Kohli not happy with Indian SG balls, recommends Duke for Test cricket

SG Test’ has been the cricket ball in India for all top grade cricket, including Tests. The balls produced by Meerut-based Sanspreils Greenlands have once been the favourite of Indian cricketers.

Virat Kohli, however, is not happy with the quality of the SG balls. The Indian captain has instead recommended that Test cricket all over the world should be played with the England-made Duke balls.

Kohli has played all cricket in his formative years with the SG ball. He, however, feels the quality is not the same what “we have seen before”.

Since, there are no ICC guidelines, different countries have been using different balls for international cricket – India plays with SG, it’s Duke in England and the West Indies while in Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan Kookaburra balls are used.

Indian cricket board has been regularly using the SG balls for international cricket for over two decades. The SG Test has been the official approved ball by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Kohli has expressed his displeasure at the poor quality of the SG balls that India use at home, reports PTI.

“The Dukes ball, I think, is the most suited ball for Test cricket. If there’s a situation I would vouch for that to be used all over the world because of the consistency of the ball and how the bowlers are in the game at any stage, even the spinners, because the seam is so hard and upright,” Kohli said on the eve of the second Test against the West Indies.

Kohli was reacting to a complaint by R Ashwin, who had earlier said that he felt better bowling with the Kookaburra than “SG Test”.

“I totally agree with him. To have a ball scuffed up in five overs is something that we haven’t seen before. The quality of the ball used to be quite high before and I don’t understand the reason why it has gone down.

“A Dukes ball is still good quality, Kookaburra is still good quality. Whatever limitations a Kookaburra might have (seam goes flat), the quality is never compromised,” Kohli explained.

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Kohli not happy with Indian SG balls, recommends Duke for Test cricket