The red ball has been one of the most important characters of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar series. When the shape and nature of the Duke's ball were in question, an official from the Indian team claimed that the umpire at the Lord's gave them a 30-over-old ball after replacing a 10-over-old ball. According to the official, the umpire did not inform them of the condition of the ball. Not only that, but they were denied the choice of a ball of their own, as the one they chose had already been selected by the ENgland team as their second new ball. Read also: Watch: Stokes’ Draw Offer Snubbed by Jadeja, Gill Laughs Inside Dressing Room What exactly happened at Lord's Test? In the first innings of the third Test at Lord's, India checked the second new ball after ten overs when they found the Duke's ball had lost its shape. The umpires did check and found out that it is not even passing through the ring. By then, England was already 271 for 7. Jasprit Bumrah had dismissed Ben Stokes. Joe Root and Chris Woakes within 14 deliveries. After the ball was changed, the score started shifting to England' side. England ended the first innings scoring 355 runs, with Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse hitting half centuries each. Well, the ICC protocols say the replacement ball should be of the exact age of the concerned ball. According to the official, the umpires did not have a 10-over-old ball. Speaking to the Indian Express, the official said, "At Lord’s, after about 10 overs, the Dukes ball lost its shape, something that has been happening so often in the series. The ball failed to pass through the rings that the umpires carry on the field to check if the ball is uniformly spherical. However, the umpires didn’t have a ball that was 10 overs old, so the Indian team at a crucial moment of the match got a ball that was 30-35 overs old." He added, "Check the scoreboard to see how the game changed after that. The bowlers lost their swing, and England scored with ease." The official further added that if they were aware that the ball was 30 to 35 overs old, they would have continued with the deformed yet 10-over-old ball. Read also: Oval Pitch Drama: Gambhir vs Fortis Ahead of Final Test What's next for the Indian team now? Reports suggest that Indians figured out that balls with a darker shade of red were singing more. But during the replacement, the box that the fourth umpire brought in the Indian dressing room had one ball with the darker shade. When the Indians chose it, the umpires said that England already booked it as theirsecond new ball. Speaking about this, the official said, "The right thing would be to have this ball selection in the match referee’s room and not in the dressing room with the local umpire as the only official present." Right now, the Indians want the ICC to intervene in the existing rule saying that at least the teams concerned should be told about the age of the ball. Notably, India lost the Test at Lords by a margin of just 22 runs, despite a gritty fight from Ravindra Jadeja. Had it been a draw, the scoreline would have been 1-1 for now. Well, the fifth Test is starting today, on July 31, at London, at the Kia Oval.