'I walked straight up to Kumar': Usman Khawaja slams umpire over controversial ball change

The English cricket team won the fifth Ashes 2023 Test against Australia by 49 runs and also drew the five-match series by 2-2. English pacer Stuart Broad took the final two wickets of the match and ended his international career on a memorable note. The Aussies started Day 5 from their overnight score of 135/0 and at last were bundled out for a score of 334 runs. 

3 things you need to know 

• Australia retained the prestigious Ashes trophy for the fourth consecutive time 
• The English cricket team made a tremendous comeback in the Ashes 2023 series after losing the first two Tests 
• The hosts were favourites to win the fourth Test in Manchester, however, the match was drawn due to rain

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ENG vs AUS: The controversial ball change fiasco

The Australian cricket team was cruising for a score of 135/0 at the end of the Day 4 of the fifth Test and openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner were steady at the crease. Both the batsmen survived the most difficult opening spell of English bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad and didn't face any problems. 

While continuing from their overnight score of 135/0, the Aussies were in control and looked favourites to record their second-highest Test run chase. However, during the 37th over, Usman Khawaja was hit on the helmet off a Mark Wood delivery which prompted the umpires to call for the new ball as it had appeared to change the shape of the ball. The rules of Test cricket state that the red cherry needs to be changed after 80 odd overs, but if in any case, the ball gets damaged before the designated 80 overs, then it has to be replaced by a similarly aged one.

The replaced Dukes ball started swinging and the English bowlers reaped a major benefit from it. The hunt for wickets also ended for the hosts as Warner was dismissed for a score of 60 runs in 106 balls in the 42nd bring the first wicket stand of 140 runs to an end. Khawaja was the next as he was caught in front by Chris Woakes for 73 runs off 145 balls in the 44th over. 

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Usman Khawaja confronts Kumar Dharmasena over controversial ball change 

Australian cricket team opener Usman Khawaja has confronted the onfield umpire of the fifth Ashes 2023 Test match Kumar Dharmasena and said that the new ball felt like it was only eight overs old when it was taken in the 37th over. Khawaja said while talking to cricket.com.au after the end of the fifth Test: 

I walked straight up to Kumar and said straightaway, 'That ball looks nothing like the one we were playing with. I can see writing on it. 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 said, 'I don't know what's going on – you've gone from an old, reverse (swinging) ball to a brand-new ball.

After the conclusion of the five-match Ashes series against Australia, England will now face New Zealand in a four-match T20I series starting from August 30, 2023.