Mumbai, July 29: Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel feels that Indian bowlers need to bowl consistently in the fifth and final Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson trophy at the Oval following a disappointing performance in Manchester. Indian batters specifically in the second innings, showed resilience and grit to secure a draw in the fourth Test at the Old Trafford. England are currently leading the five-match Test series 2-1, and the visiting side has the last option of levelling the series in London. IND vs ENG 4th Test 2025: Geoffrey Boycott Defends Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar for Declining Draw Offer; Slams England’s Bowling.

"Looking at the way India played this Test match, there’s not much I would change — but if you ask what could have been done better, I’d say the phase on Day 2 when England batted. During that period, India’s bowling lacked consistency and was a bit wayward on both sides of the wicket. That’s where some correction was possible. Otherwise, this has been a very good Test match for India, especially considering how things unfolded after the toss.

"Almost everything seemed to go against India — when India went in to bat, the clouds were overhead; when England came out to bat, the sun was shining bright. Add to that England’s huge total of 669 runs, and you can see how tough it was. Still, the way India fought back, there’s a lot of confidence to take into the 5th Test," Patel said on JioHotstar.

Patel shared his thoughts on the handshake controversy and said that the match should have played till the last over of the day irrespective of centuries from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. The fifth Test of the series will be played at the Oval from Thursday. Will Jasprit Bumrah Play in IND vs ENG 5th Test 2025? Here's The Possibility of Star Pacer Featuring in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Match at The Oval.

"England did things their own way. Their effort was clear - they wanted to bowl India out and win the game. But when they realized that wasn’t possible, they put their weapons down and acknowledged that India had played very well. At the same time, India did what they wanted to do in their own way — two players worked really hard, batted brilliantly, and both deserved to score centuries.

"The only question I have is this: if Ben Duckett had been batting on 90 in the same situation and the opposition offered a handshake, would England have accepted it? I am very curious to know this, especially with so many talking about the ‘spirit of the game.’

"In my opinion, the game should have continued till the end of the day, even if the Indian batters completed their centuries. If 15 overs were still left, India should have batted because they worked extremely hard. Before lunch on Day 4, when two wickets fell, it looked like India could lose the Test on Day 5. But from that point to batting through 143 overs is an incredible effort. So, I believe what India did was absolutely right — though personally, I feel they could have batted a bit more," he added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 29, 2025 01:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).