Geoffrey Boycott has come down hard on England’s bowlers after their failure to finish off India on a fifth-day pitch at Old Trafford, calling the performance toothless despite the hosts piling up 669 in the first innings.

The former England captain reserved high praise for Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, whose unbeaten 203-run stand turned what looked like certain defeat into a moral victory for India.

In his stinging column for The Telegraph (UK), Boycott minced no words as he tore into England’s bowling attack: “You learn more from failure than you do from success. And we failed to bowl India out. The draw highlighted the deficiencies in our bowling. If your best bowler in both innings is your captain, who is really a batsman that bowls, something is not right.”

Boycott’s criticism came after India, reeling from a 311-run first-innings deficit, dug deep to bat out the final day. Jadeja (89*) and Washington (80*) stood their ground even when England skipper Ben Stokes offered a pre-final-hour handshake.

The pair chose instead to play on — and Boycott was all for it.

“England were gobby enough when it suited them, so you can't blame India for wanting to stay on and allow two batsmen who had worked their socks off to reach their hundreds,” he wrote. “If you give it, like England do, then you have to be able to take it.”

The Yorkshireman applauded the Indians for their resilience, calling them “tough cookies” and asserting they had every right to chase personal milestones after bailing their team out.

“There is no way I would have let anyone drag me off on 89 after I had worked hard all day to save the game,” he said. “They left the ball well, played with the full face of the bat and defended their wickets at all costs. Well done.”

He also took aim at England’s reliance on Ben Stokes, warning that while the all-rounder continues to produce moments of magic, the burden on him is growing.

“Every time Stokes bowls, he makes something happen — it's a gift. But if they’re going to rely on him all the time, then England are in trouble,” Boycott cautioned. “He’s 34 and needs to take care of himself. It’s better he bowls a bit less and stays fit than breaks down from overuse.”

With the series tilted 2–1 in England’s favour and the fifth Test beginning Thursday at The Oval, Boycott’s parting shot was aimed at the team's culture of excessive sledging.

“You hear a lot of them mouthing off. It never really happened when I was playing,” he said, hinting that England’s aggression wasn’t being backed up by substance.

India may not have won the match, but as far as Boycott’s assessment goes, they walked away with the bragging rights.