Referee steps in after Chennai ODI ball row

England captain Nasser Hussain was spoken to by the match referee after he objected to a ball change during Friday's one-day game, England coach Duncan Fletcher said on Sunday.

Match referee Denis Lindsay spoke to both Hussain and India's skipper Anil Kumble after the row over the replacement of a white ball during the day-night game in Chennai, which India went on to win by four wickets.

"(Denis) Lindsay had a word with both sides," said Fletcher. "(But) it is not serious."

Hussain was upset when the discoloured ball was changed just when his team seemed have wrested the initiative after paceman Matthew Hoggard's took three wickets in six deliveries.

India, chasing 218 for victory, were reduced to 174 for five when the incident took place, but eventually reached the target with some ease to go 2-1 up in the six-match series.

Fletcher said Hussain was not arguing with the umpires and had the right to talk to them.

"It is perfectly within the rules. It's our prerogative to request not to change the ball. He wasn't arguing, but he has the right to say," he said. "Of course, it is a fine line. You should know when to stop."

After the Chennai game, Hussain said that he was against the provision for a ball change during a one-day innings.

"I don't understand why the ball has to be changed in the middle of the game. This is one part of the game I don't understand," he said on Friday.

"I am going to be talking to the ICC about this," Hussain said. "The earlier ball may have been reverse swinging and then suddenly the next ball you get may not.".

The International Cricket Council rules allow the replacement of a white ball to one of similar wear during a day/night game, if it has "significantly discoloured" and is unfit for play in the umpire's opinion.

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