"I Walked Straight Up To Umpire": Australia Star Fuels Ball-Change Controversy

Australia batter Usman Khawaja was left to rue a "frustrating" ball change which he believed played a key role in England's fightback to win the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. The tourists started Monday's last day on 135-0, needing just 249 more runs to reach an imposing victory target of 384. But England's Chris Woakes struck twice early on, taking two wickets in seven balls as he removed both David Warner (60) and Khawaja (72) following their impressive opening stand.

The ball appeared to be moving significantly more in the air and off the pitch than it had on the fourth day. And while overhead conditions and a rain-freshened pitch may have played their part in making batting conditions more difficult, a change of ball, brought about when England fast bowler Mark Wood hit Khawaja on the helmet late on Sunday, may have been a factor as well.

In these circumstances, the on-field umpires are supposed to select a replacement ball in similar condition to the one being discarded. But television pictures suggested the replacement ball was significantly newer than the old ball and that there did not appear to be one of equal wear and tear for the umpires to select from a box of replacement balls.

'I don't know what's going on'

"I walked straight up to Kumar (Dharmasena, the umpire) and said straightaway, 'That ball looks nothing like the one we were playing with. I can see writing on it'," Khawaja told cricket.com.au after Australia had been bowled out for 334 to give England a 49-run victory.

"It felt harder than any ball I've faced in this Ashes series -- and I've opened the batting against the new ball every single time," added Khawaja, the leading run-scorer on either side in the five-Test campaign with 496.

"I said, 'I