Types of Cricket Balls: Test cricket around the world is played with balls prepared by three different manufacturing companies.
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Irrespective of where a Test match is being played, commentators end up discussing the manner in which a ball behaves for it plays a vital role in a five-day match. Such a discussion is mostly followed by how another ball would have behaved in a contrasting manner under totally different conditions.
Unlike an ideal-case scenario, there is no going into a safe house around the fact that as many as three different balls are used in different parts of the world in Test cricket.
While the size, weight and basic nature of these three balls remain the same, what differs on a primary level is the preparation, behaviour and amount of lacquer applied on them.
How many Types of Cricket Balls are used in Test matches?
Dukes (Made in England) – Used in England, Ireland and West Indies.
Kookaburra (Made in Australia) – Used in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
SG (Made in India) – Used in India.
Readers must note that the decision of selecting a ball for Test matches lies with the host board. For example, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) will decide if they want to continue conducting Test matches with an SG Test ball or want to introduce balls by other manufacturing companies.
The advent of day-night Test matches in the recent years has welcomed another kind of ball in cricket, i.e., pink ball. As is the case with their red balls, host boards prefer the same companies to arrange for pink balls in day-night Tests. For example, SG had made their own pink balls for the two pink-ball Tests that have been played in India till date.
ALSO READ: How is pink ball made and how is it different from a red ball?
As far as white-ball cricket is concerned, a Kookaburra ball is used throughout the world irrespective of the match being an ODI, T20I or a T20.
