Former Pakistan cricketer Shabbir Ahmed has made controversial allegations against the Indian team following their dramatic win over England in the fifth Test at The Oval. Chasing 374, England appeared on course for victory at 301/3, with Harry Brook and Joe Root in full flow.
However, India staged a stunning comeback, with
Mohammed Siraj and
Prasidh Krishna triggering a collapse to bowl England out for 367 and seal a thrilling six-run win.
The Oval pitch offered assistance to both batters and bowlers throughout the match. On Day 5, the older ball began to reverse swing noticeably, making scoring difficult for the English batters.
Although India had the option to take the new ball after the 80th over, they strategically stuck with the old one, which continued to generate movement—a decision that ultimately proved decisive, as India drew the five-match Test series 2-2.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I think India used Vaseline. After 80+ overs, the ball still shone like new. Umpires should send this ball to a lab for examination,” Shabbir wrote on X.
Shabbir has played 10 Tests and 32 ODIs for Pakistan.
While Player of the Match in the fifth Test, Siraj climbed 12 places to grab 15th spot in the latest ICC Men's Test Bowler Rankings. Fellow pacer Prasidh Krishna moved up 25 places to rank 59th after picking up eight wickets in the deciding Test, which India won by six runs.
During the series, Siraj took 23 wickets at an average of 32.43, including one six-wicket haul, one five-wicket haul, and one four-wicket haul.
Siraj's spell of 6/70 during the win at Birmingham was his best statistically. With his inspirational comeback spell at The Oval—which reduced England from 301/4 to 367 all out while chasing 374—Siraj ended the series with a five-wicket haul, converting naysayers into believers in 'Miyan Magic'.
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