In the midst of a raging controversy, the manufacturer of the Dukes ball said on Friday that it would conduct a thorough review following widespread criticism of the “soft” balls used in the first three Tests between India and England.

The on-field umpires have regularly changed the Duke balls in the ongoing five-match series as these balls were unable to retain hardness and were going out of shape quickly, particularly after 30 overs. The whole process has caused delays to the match proceedings.

After criticism by India captain Shubman Gill and former English pacer Stuart Broad, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will collect as many used balls as possible and return them to the company that produces Dukes balls by the end of the week. “We will take them away, inspect and then start talking to the tanner about all of the raw materials,” Dilip Jajodia, owner of British Cricket Balls Ltd who make the Dukes, said.

“Everything we do will be reviewed and then if we think some changes need to be made, we will,” said Jajodia. The ball used for Test series is decided by the host board. While the Dukes are used in England, Test matches in India are played with the SG ball and Australia uses the Kookaburra.

The Dukes ball, which has been in production since 1760, has faced some issues in Test and County cricket in recent years. During the Lord’s Test, Gill was upset with the ball they were given by the umpires after the second new ball had to be changed in the first hour of the second day’s play. While Jasprit Bumrah had taken three quick wickets with the original ball, Indian bowlers failed to take a single wicket in the rest of the first session after the ball was changed. Broad, a fierce critic of the Dukes ball in recent years, also expressed his displeasure with the replacement ball.