It was a historic end to India's five-match Test series against England in England. Not many expected Shubman Gill's side to even compete, let alone draw the series but that is exactly how things panned out. A sensational performance on the fifth day of the final Test at The Oval from Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna saw India register their narrowest Test win till date, a six-run victory to end the series 2-2.
Siraj topped the wicket-taking charts with 23 wickets and deservedly hogged the limelight for his incredible performance right through the series. However, trust India's arch-rivals Pakistan to spice things up once in a while. Shabbir Ahmed, former fast bowler from Pakistan, had recently accused Siraj and Krishna of ball-tampering during the final innings of the series. With the second new ball available, India had opted to continue with the old ball and got it to move around appreciably. The decision to delay the new ball worked like magic for Gill and co as they sealed the game in a thrilling finish.
"I think India used Vaseline. After 80 + over Ball still shine like new Umpire should send this ball to lab for examine," Ahmed had written on his X account.
However, with the latest broadcasting technology available, such acts are not easy to pull off. Ask the Australians who got caught red-handed during the Cape Town Test of 2018. The fiasco resulted in one-year bans for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. Since that infamous incident, the scrutiny has been on a higher level and realistically, it is improbable that India's bowlers would have crossed the line at The Oval. Unless the match officials notice anything suspicious and report it to the ICC Match Referee, these allegations will continue to be baseless.
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Ahmed's request to get the ball examined comes across as a random social media comment from a fan, or rather anti-fan, with the reason behind his words arguably reflecting his displeasure due to the historically strained India-Pakistan relations. As things stand, there is no formal complaint from anybody associated with The Oval Test, which means that Siraj and Krishna have nothing to prove or worry about.
This scenario reminds us of the 2023 ODI World Cup when another former pacer, Hasan Raza, alleged India of using a 'different set of balls' which allegedly helped their pacers to get more movement than the fast bowlers from other teams. It was an allegation of peak amateurish levels and it left not just the world amused but also former Pakistan cricketers as well.
On Pakistan's ARY news during a cricket talk show, Akram tore into Raza's claims ruthlessly. "I want to have the kind of stuffs these guys are having," said a visibly angry Akram. "Because, their mind is just not there. As it is, you are insulting yourself but also insulting the country along with it." Akram had then gone on to explain how balls are chosen for a game and how it is impossible for any team to bend the rules about this. The pace bowling legend also added that it is crucial to respect someone when they are doing an art well and went on to praise India's bowling efforts.
It is a two-year-old video but it is available almost everywhere and perhaps, it is the first video that Ahmed needs to watch right now.