Vaughan's team lost by seven wickets at Trent Bridge to fall 1-0 down in the series with just one match left.

India's Zaheer Khan, man of the match for his nine wickets, said he "felt insulted" by the jellybean incident.

But Vaughan said: "The guys promised me they weren't throwing them. They were just left there at a drinks interval."

The skipper said that if he could be provided with "some footage that might prove me wrong" then he would be happy to re-evaluate the incident.

The jellybean row was just one of a number of ill-tempered exchanges between both teams.

India pace bowler Sreesanth lost half his match fee for a shoulder-charge against Vaughan, and the same man also bowled an accidental beamer at Kevin Pietersen.

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior indulged in frequent sledging when India were batting.

Vaughan said: "There might have been times when we might have gone over the line but I want players playing it tough in Test cricket."

England's scores of 198 and 355 were "about 60 to 70 runs short" on each occasion, said the captain. "We had a little sniff of a 150 or 180-run lead and it could have been quite interesting. I would like to have seen them chasing another 100.

"Full credit to India. They've used conditions brilliantly over the five days, they've held their catches in the field and put us under pressure."

"But hopefully we can level the series at The Oval in a week and a half's time."

Vaughan said that throughout India's innings of 481 at the weekend, the team had felt they were likely to take wickets.

"Their batsmen rode their luck in certain instances," he said. "Ryan Sidebottom bowled beautifully and could have ended up with six or seven wickets."

Sidebottom, the most consistent performer all summer for England, took 1-75 and 0-28.