There is no end to controversies surrounding various incidents on and off the field in the Ashes. There is a newly added incident regarding the ball change. This incident has given rise to intense discussion and criticism. The difference between the two balls is visible to the naked eye. By changing the ball in the middle of Australia's second innings, the umpires gave the English a relatively 'new ball', Ricky Ponting complained. The Australian legend has demanded an investigation into such an incident.

The ball change incident took place on Sunday, the fourth day of the final Test at The Oval. In the 37th over, Usman Khawaja was hit on the helmet by Mark Wood's bouncer. As a result, the shape of the ball is slightly damaged. For this reason, two field umpires, Joel Wilson and Kumar Dharmasena, changed the ball. After the change of ball, only 11 balls were played that day. After that, there was no more play because of the rain.

According to ICC rules, if a change of ball is required in the middle of play (before 80 overs in a Test innings), another ball of similar condition to the old ball must be taken. But the changed ball by umpire Wilson and Dharmasena looked shiny and new compared to the old one. This was the beginning of the debate.

The discussion started in the commentary room. Later, the pictures of the two balls were spread on social media. Discussions about the ball in the commentary room continued on the fifth day as well. On the fifth day morning, the English took Australia's three wickets. Woakes sent back the two unbeaten openers from the previous day, David Warner and Usman Khawaja, to the dressing room in consecutive overs. Wood dismissed Marnus Labuschagne.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Ponting said, “The biggest concern I have is the big discrepancy in the condition of the ball that was chosen to replace. There’s no way in the world you can even look at those two balls there and say in any way are they comparable. If you are going to change the ball, you want to make sure that you get it right, so it is as close as you possibly can to the one that you’re changing it from. Now if you have a look in that box, there weren’t too many older-condition balls in there. There were some older ones that were picked up, the umpires looked at that and threw them back.”

However, the English pacers got the help of a low wicket in the cloudy sky on the last day. Australia quickly lost wickets as the conditions were favorable. Ponting, however, has a different idea. According to him, if it was the earlier ball, the pacers would not have got that much advantage.

“The conditions were better for bowling this morning. But what I saw last night, that ball there, I’ll put my hand up and say I’ve got absolutely no doubt at all that that ball would not have done anywhere near as much as what that one did this morning. Double the amount of movement this morning from yesterday afternoon, seam movement and swing. I think it’s a huge blunder that needs to be investigated.

“That is a huge moment in this game, potentially a huge moment in the Test match, and something I think actually has to be investigated… whether there was the right condition of balls in the box, or the umpires have just picked one out of there that they think will be okay to use,” Ponting added.