Jasprit Bumrah declines to comment on Dukes ball controversy, reveals reason for muted celebration: 'I don't want to lose out on money'

Jasprit Bumrah has declined to share his opinion on the ongoing Dukes balls controversy amid Joe Root taking a dig at the Indian cricket team for “wasting time” and Sunil Gavaskar slamming the quality of the balls used during the India vs England Test series.

All three Test matches so far have witnessed multiple incidents of ball changes as players have continued to question the quality of the Dukes balls and their failing to hold the shape for any significant period.

The controversy hit a high note on Day 2 of the Lord’s Test on Friday as India were forced to change a new ball after using it for just 10.3 overs and the replacement ball was also changed after 48 deliveries .

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Bumrah ignores Dukes ball controversy

Asked for his opinion during the press conference, Bumrah played down the controversy as he refused to make any comments on the quality of Dukes balls due to the fear of attracting a fine.

“The ball changes, I don’t really control that. Obviously, I don’t want to lose out on money because I work very hard and play a lot of overs. So, I don’t want to say any controversial statements and get my match fees deducted,” Bumrah said at the end of Day 2.

“But we were bowling with the ball that we were given. And that’s how it is. We can’t change it. We can’t fight it. Sometimes it goes your way. Sometimes you get a bad ball. That’s how it is,” he added.

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Tired body leads to muted celebration from Bumrah

Nonetheless, Bumrah had a memorable day as he took five wickets for 74, which will make him a part of the honours board at Lord’s. He also surpassed the legendary Kapil Dev to become the Indian pacer with the most five-fors in overseas Test matches . But his celebration was pretty muted, raising speculation that he was unhappy about something.

The 31-year-old Bumrah ended those speculations by revealing that his subdued celebration was a result of a tired body. “The reality is that I was tired. There was no happiness factor. I bowled for a long time on the field, and sometimes I get tired,” Bumrah said.

“I’m not 21-22 anymore that I’ll jump around. I’m usually not like that. I was happy that I contributed. Other than that, I just wanted to go back to my mark and bowl the next ball.”