Bhopal: The game of cricket revolves around both bat and ball. Bowlers try to get batsmen out with the ball, while batsmen attack bowlers by hitting shots on the ball.

The weight of a ball is approximately between 155.9 and 163 grams, while its circumference is between 22.4 and 22.9 centimetres. In earlier times, the red ball was used in both Test cricket and ODI cricket. With coloured clothing coming into vogue, white balls are now used in limited-overs matches.

There is often a comparison between the red and white ball in terms of swing and seam. It has been found that the white ball swings more than the red one. The pink ball has also come into discussion to promote day-night Tests. However, research is still going on the characteristics of the pink ball. Let us take a look at the different brands of balls used in international cricket today:

Dukes' Ball

The 'Duke' ball is the oldest of all the balls used in cricket. The ball originated in 1760, when its production began in Tonbridge, United Kingdom. Its color is darker red than other balls. The ball is completely handmade. It is the most durable compared to other balls and takes longer to age.

Bowlers like James Anderson and Stuart Broad have benefited the most from this ball, as it helps fast bowlers a lot in the stormy conditions of England.

The Duke ball attains the highest speed on English pitches. Only two countries, England and West Indies, use it in all three formats.

The Kookaburra Ball

'Kookaburra' was founded in 1890 and its factory is in Melbourne. This company has been a major manufacturer of cricket equipment for the last 128 years. Kookaburra ball is present as the number one ball manufacturer internationally. The Australian Cricket Board first used Kookaburra balls during the 1946/47 'Ashes Series'.

Kookaburra balls are completely made by machines. This ball helps fast bowlers in movement for at least 30 overs. Kookaburra balls are most used in international and domestic cricket in Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

'SG' Ball

The SG ball was invented in 1931 in Sialkot (Pakistan) by brothers Kedar Nath and Dwarka Nath Anand. After independence, the company shifted to Meerut (India). SG balls were first approved by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for Test matches in 1991. Since then, Test matches in India have been played with this ball.

SG balls have more seams which stay in shape even after a full day of play. The ball loses its shine very quickly due to the dry conditions in India, but helps the bowlers in reverse swing after 40 overs of play. This type of ball is used only for matches in India. Virat Kohli prefers to play with Duke balls in Test matches. Indian spinner R. Ashwin likes to play with Kookaburra, but he does not like SG balls.

This was the information about the types of balls used in cricket. We hope that this information about Duke, Kookaburra and SG balls will help increase the knowledge of cricket lovers.