India vs England 2025 — The Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy Delivers a Modern Classic

In the summer of 2025, cricket’s most storied rivalry wrote a new chapter — one that will be remembered for its fierce competitiveness, towering individual performances, and moments of drama that had fans glued to every ball. The inaugural Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, named in honour of England’s legendary swing bowler James Anderson and India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, unfolded across five Tests and seven weeks of relentless competition.

 

When it was all over, the scoreline read 2–2, but no number could truly capture the emotional ebb and flow of this series. From the tense run-chase at Headingley to the nerve-shredding six-run finale at The Oval, every contest carried a sense of history in the making.

 

The Build-Up — Old Rivals, Fresh Stakes

The series carried dual significance — it was the first edition of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy and the opening salvo of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.

England, under the relatively new leadership of Ollie Pope, were determined to defend home turf and make a statement after an inconsistent previous season. India arrived under the stewardship of Shubman Gill, captaining for the first time in a full overseas series, backed by a balanced squad blending seasoned campaigners and hungry young talent.

Series Overview

• Result: Drawn 2–2
• England wins: Tests 1 & 3
• India wins: Tests 2 & 5
• Draw: Test 4
• Player of the Series: Joint — Shubman Gill (India) & Harry Brook (England)
• Top run-scorer: Shubman Gill — 754 runs
• Top wicket-taker: Mohammed Siraj — 23 wickets

 

Test-by-Test Chronicle

1st Test — Headingley, Leeds

England won by 5 wickets

• IND 471 & 364
• ENG 465 & 373/5 (target 371)

 

The series began with a heavyweight slugfest. India’s first innings of 471, led by Gill’s fluent 145 and KL Rahul’s patient 89, set the tone. England replied with 465, Joe Root anchoring with a typically classy 163. In the second innings, India’s 364 gave England a stiff target of 371.

 

On day five, England’s chase unfolded with calculated precision. Root and Harry Brook blunted India’s attack before Ben Stokes finished the job, striking an unbeaten 68 to secure a five-wicket win. England were 1–0 up.

 

2nd Test — Edgbaston, Birmingham

India won by 336 runs

• IND 587 & 427/6 dec
• ENG 407 & 271

 

If Headingley was England’s triumph in composure, Edgbaston was India’s exhibition of dominance. Batting first, they piled on 587 with Gill’s majestic 212, Jadeja’s counter-attacking 126, and Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive 92. England’s reply of 407 kept them in touch but well behind the game.

 

In their second innings, India batted briskly to 427/6 declared, setting England an improbable 608. Siraj, supported by Prasidh Krishna, sliced through the English batting. From 145/2, the hosts crumbled to 271 all out. The series was level at 1–1.

 

3rd Test — Lord’s, London

England won by 23 runs

• ENG 387 & 192
• IND 387 & 170 (target 193)

 

Lord’s delivered a thriller. Both sides made 387 in the first innings, Gill contributing another hundred for India, Root once again the rock for England. The hosts then scraped together 192 in their second outing, leaving India needing 193.

 

What seemed a modest chase turned into a collapse under cloud cover and the precision of Josh Tongue and Ben Stokes. From 95/3, India were hustled out for 170. England took a 2–1 lead and sniffed a series win.

 

4th Test — Old Trafford, Manchester

Match drawn

• IND 358 & 425/4
• ENG 669

 

The Manchester pitch turned into a batter’s dream. England’s mammoth 669, fuelled by Root’s 150 and Stokes’ 141, looked like a match-winning foundation. India’s first-innings 358 had left them well behind, but their second-innings response was a masterclass in defiance.

Gill (103), Jadeja (107*), and Washington Sundar (101*) batted for over two days to save the match. KL Rahul fell just short of a ton with 90, but by stumps on day five, India had batted 143 overs without serious alarm. The draw meant England led 2–1 going into the finale.

 

 

5th Test — The Oval, London

India won by 6 runs

• IND 224 & 396
• ENG 247 & 367 (target 374)

 

The Oval finale became an instant classic. Batting first, India scraped to 224, kept afloat by Rahul’s gritty 78. England took a slender 23-run lead with 247, thanks largely to Jonny Bairstow’s attacking 94.

 

In their second innings, India counter-punched brilliantly. Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 118 lit up the day, while nightwatchman Akash Deep stunned everyone with a composed 66. Washington Sundar’s 82 swelled the lead to set England 374 to win.

 

The chase ebbed and flowed over two tense days. England entered the final morning at 339/6, just 35 short. Siraj struck with the second new ball, removing the overnight set batsman, and Prasidh Krishna accounted for the tail. England fell for 367 — six runs adrift — handing India their narrowest win by runs in Test history and levelling the series 2–2.

 

Series Standouts

India

• Shubman Gill: 754 runs at a Bradmanesque average, including a double hundred and three other centuries.
• KL Rahul: The glue in the middle order with 532 runs and multiple fourth-innings stabilising efforts.
• Mohammed Siraj: 23 wickets, including a match-winning 9-for at The Oval.
• Yashasvi Jaiswal: An attacking force at the top, highlighted by his Oval century.

England

• Joe Root: 537 runs and three hundreds — the constant thorn in India’s plans.
• Harry Brook: 481 runs at strike-rates that shifted the tempo of matches, earning joint Player of the Series.
• Josh Tongue & Ben Stokes: Consistent wicket-takers in pressure moments.

 

Records and Milestones

• 21 centuries scored in the series — a record for an England–India Test contest.
• Over 7,000 runs combined, showcasing batting dominance across conditions.
• India’s win at The Oval — narrowest by runs in their Test history.
• Gill’s 754 runs — the most by any batter in an India–England series.

 

Verdict — A Rivalry Reignited

The 2025 Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy had all the elements of an all-time great series: shifting momentum, high-quality batting, incisive pace bowling, and finishes that tested nerves on both sides.

 

It ended without an outright winner, but both teams leave with belief. England will rue letting the Oval slip, India will cherish a fightback that seemed improbable after Lord’s. And when they meet again on Indian soil, the anticipation will be sky-high — because this rivalry, in its newest era, has truly come alive.