As has been the norm in Ranji Trophy this season, the match ball has been changed at least once in almost all matches. On the first day of the semifinal between Tamil Nadu and Mumbai being played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association ground, the ball had to be changed thrice.

While the first change happened in the first session, the second session saw the ball being changed twice.

Lakshmipathy Balaji, Tamil Nadu bowling coach and former India seamer, wasn't too happy with the frequent change of ball. "It affects the rhythm of a team. All balls are different from the other. Some are light, some are heavy, some swing, some don't."

"I am sure the ball has some kind of ability to change the course of the game; I believe in that because softer balls are sometimes helpful on some wickets and heavier balls are sometimes helpful on different wickets. I have not seen anything like three-four balls being changed in the first session. I don't know [if it is] because of the conditions or because of the balls' quality. That is not in our control. That's up to the match officials.

"Batsmen just don't have to adapt according to wickets and conditions, the ball is an important factor also," added the former paceman.

Chandrakant Pandit, the Mumbai coach, too was not pleased. "Quality of balls has continued to be an issue in the Ranji Trophy. Not much has changed since the last season. A change in ball has a lot of repercussions on the batting and bowling sides' strategies and at times, a team might end up losing its grip on the match due to a sudden change in ball. This has to be taken seriously," the former India wicketkeeper said.