Australia have ruled the cricket world for quite a long time now across formats. They have won many World Cups including the World Test Championship 2023. The Aussies have outplayed every team in cricket, standing out as one of the best in the business.
Well, the credit goes to the practitioners of the sport who have held their calm throughout their careers to produce some great innings. Like every sport has equipment, cricket is played with a bat and a ball. 'Ball' is one of the most important things used in the sport. It comes in different sizes which are played according to situations and pitches.
In Test cricket Kookaburra balls have been used for over a decade. Australian batters had mastered the art of playing the Kookaburra balls and during the period of 2016-2020, they scored at an average of 44. However, since the Kookaburra ball changed in 2020, the batting average has fallen down to 34.
Also, the number of balls faced per wicket has decreased from 66 to 52. This is a huge change for Australian batters as they were the best in the business. A few questions arose after these stats were brought up by the commentary panel including Aaron Finch during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024. The former player gave a detailed analysis of the ball, its changes and how it has affected the batters recently.
What were the new changes made in the Kookaburra ball?
The Kookaburra balls have changed completely starting with the addition of extra lacquer to improve the stitching of the seam. The balls have many layers and lacquer is the plastic layer added to make the ball hard for a longer run. This helps in swing and also protects the ball from getting soft. Since 2020, the ball has been improved pretty much, giving much-needed help to the bowlers.
How has the change in Kookaburra balls affected the average of Australian batters?
The extra layer of lacquer has done the job for the bowlers. The Australian wickets are harder as compared to other countries. Earlier, the ball used to get soft as the game proceeded, which helped the batters more because the swing and bounce stopped after a point. The shine used to fade, making it easier for the batters to hit the ball.
Now, with the extra layer of lacquer, the ball has stopped getting softer with time, giving the advantage to the bowlers. The balls' shine is maintained and the swing rate has also increased troubling the batters more than usual. Hence, on the hard surfaces of Australia, pace bowlers make perfect use of the ball. The grassier pitches have become the ice on the cake for the bowlers, making it unplayable for the batters.
The balance has been shifted from a batting-friendly track to a bowling-friendly one with the combination of grass and new balls. Kookaburra has also raised the seam and made the ball more oval due to which it creates more divots and lasts longer than usual. This has troubled the batters lately, and hence, there's a drop in the batting average as well.