Former Pakistani fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed has accused India of ball tampering during the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval. He made this claim after India defeated England by six runs, levelling the five-match series 2-2.

Doubts Over the Swing on an Old Ball

On Day 5, Mohammed Siraj made the ball swing both ways, despite it being nearly 80 overs old. Prasidh Krishna also managed to get movement, although not as effectively as Siraj. Surprisingly, Indian captain Shubman Gill chose not to take the second new ball, even when England had just three wickets in hand and needed fewer than 30 runs to win. That decision worked well.

Siraj dismissed Jamie Smith with a sharp outswinger. Then, he got a delivery to cut back in and trapped Jamie Overton lbw. Prasidh Krishna bowled tightly from the other end. Although DRS saved Josh Tongue at first, Krishna quickly knocked over his stumps with a brilliant ball.

India’s Bowlers Turned the Match Around

Both Siraj and Krishna continued to trouble the English batters. The pitch supported seamers throughout the Test, but the Indian quicks used the conditions smartly. Despite the weather and pitch helping bowlers, India's pacers deserve credit for taking England's final seven wickets for just 66 runs.

Shabbir Claims Use of Vaseline

But Shabbir Ahmed dismissed the Indian bowlers’ skills. Instead, he claimed India tampered with the ball.

“I think India used Vaseline. After 80+ over ball still shine like new. Umpire should send this ball to the lab for examination,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

I think
India used Vaseline
After 80 + over
Ball still shine like new
Umpire should send this ball to lab for examine

— Shabbir Ahmed Khan (@ShabbirTestCric) August 4, 2025

He completely ignored the pitch, the cloudy conditions, and the quality of bowling from Siraj and Krishna.

Pattern of Accusations from Pakistan

This isn’t the first time a Pakistani cricketer has made such allegations against India.

• During the 2023 ODI World Cup, when Indian pacers swung the new ball more than others, Hasan Raza claimed that ICC had given India a “different ball.”

• In the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India won, Inzamam-ul-Haq accused Arshdeep Singh of tampering with the ball. Mohammed Shami later hit back with a sharp reply.