India were right on top during the morning session of Day 2 in the third Test at Lord’s.
Jasprit Bumrah delivered a fiery burst to start the day, removing Joe Root, Ben Stokes, and Chris Woakes in quick time, and it looked like England would fold under 300.
But then, a surprising move from India and captain Shubman Gill left many scratching their heads -- a change of ball that seemed to shift all momentum away from India.
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Gill allowed the replacement of the old ball, as requested by Siraj, without consulting Bumrah, who had been swinging it with devastating consequences for the English batters.
That one moment ended up sparking a debate that’s taken over cricket conversations, especially with England bouncing back sharply after the change.
What exactly happened with the ball change that frustrated India?
Everything was going right for India. Root had just completed his century but fell soon after to Bumrah. The pacer was in rhythm, movement was sharp, and wickets were tumbling.
But Siraj, seemingly unhappy with the ball’s condition, approached the umpires asking for a replacement without involving Bumrah.
The umpires agreed, and a new ball was handed over. But from that moment, India's edge disappeared. The swing was gone and the pressure faded.
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England’s batters, led by Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse, began rebuilding steadily. What should’ve been a collapse became a recovery.
What did Steve Harmison say about Shubman Gill’s captaincy?
Former fast bowler Steve Harmison, who was on air for JioHotstar, didn’t mince words in his reaction. He said he had “no sympathy” for India and couldn't understand the logic behind changing the ball when Bumrah had just torn through England’s middle order.
"I've got no sympathy for India at all.
Why change it? Jasprit Bumrah got it swinging around the corners. Mohammed Siraj didn't even throw the ball to Bumrah, didn't ask his opinion," said Harmison.
According to Harmison, Siraj acted alone in asking for the new ball, and Gill, as captain, failed to manage the situation smartly.
"When he asked for the ball to be changed, the ball was doing a lot. Now, the ball being good enough is a different argument. In this situation, I've got no idea why India decided to change the ball," he added.
Harmison points to Gill's blunder that could cost India
Harmison was also critical of Gill's field placements later on, saying the captain seemed to stop trying to take wickets and allowed the game to drift, giving England an easy path back.
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He felt Gill lost control of the situation, stopped attacking Jamie Smith, and made things too easy for the opposition.
“The ball was doing all sorts. They just picked up three wickets, and then it was an absolute implosion. Gill stopped trying to get Jamie Smith out, put all the fielders out. All of a sudden, you've now got the older ball. I do agree the ball was a lot older than the one they replaced," said Harmison.
"Within 10 minutes, they went from bowling England out for 320 to now potentially England getting 400. Because you feel hard done by when the ball was actually doing quite a lot. That's why I've a pretty little sympathy with India. They should've never done that,” he added.
Smith, who had a lucky escape early on, took charge with the bat. He reached his fifty by lunch and along with Brydon Carse, added 82 runs for the eighth wicket. The momentum that India had in the morning session quickly slipped away.