Not many Test series these days turn out to be thrillers. But the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025?
It certainly came as an exception. The series had an ebb and flow as England and India fought hard. And deservingly, both teams settled on a 2-2 draw.
Before the series started, few gave India a chance. But the Indian unit stepped up to square the series.
Here, we’ll look at the top five Indian performers in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025.
The Mighty Shubman Gill Arrives
Gill’s overseas stats weren’t impressive before the England tour. Plus, many had doubts about his elevation to captaincy.
But Gill answered them back in style. His bat did the talking throughout the series, as he led from the front.
Gill started the series with a hundred in Leeds. Then scored twin centuries to script a massive win for India. And his fourth ton came in the Manchester Test.
In all, Gill’s run tally swelled to 754 across 10 outings, falling 21 runs short of Sunil Gavaskar’s 774-run effort. But he edged past Virat Kohli to put up the best batting display by an Indian in England.
KL Rahul’s Resurgence
With the departure of a few seniors, KL Rahul was among the seasoned campaigners in the squad. This was his chance to make a statement. And boy, did he make it count!
Rahul was perhaps at his best with the bat. Generally, he would start the series well and then ghost. But not this time.
The right-hander took the lead from the first Test. That the opening slot suits him well became evident as he plundered runs with a composed mind.
This was Rahul’s third trip to England. And no doubt, it turned out to be his best.
He tallied 532 runs in 10 digs, including two hundreds. And one can’t forget his 90-run effort in the drawn Manchester Test.
Ravindra Jadeja’s Batting Assurance
Jadeja is an instant lock-in for any overseas Test series. His tidy spells and crucial knocks make him all the more important.
While Jadeja wasn’t effective with the ball, he showed class with the bat. The first Test went by with not much significant contribution.
It was in the second Test, he let the willow talk. Jaddu contributed 89 in the match-turning 203-run stand with Gill. Then followed a string of three fifties before the big one came.
India were outbatted by the hosts in the Manchester Test. And a defeat loomed over the head with two early dismissals. But Jadeja held onto one end to grit out a draw with his unbeaten 107.
He closed out the tour with 516 runs at an impressive average of 86. Jadeja is now the third-highest Test run-getter for India in England!
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Mohammed Siraj Steps Up
There was a lot of chatter about Jasprit Bumrah’s limited availability. So, obviously, there were questions about who would step up in Bumrah’s absence.
And Mohammed Siraj answered the call. He believed in himself to deliver in crunch situations.
Take his five-wicket hauls, for instance, in India’s two wins. No Bumrah. Not much help from the surface. And still Siraj inflicted damage on the English lineup.
He sent down 185.3 overs on those lifeless wickets, the most by any bowler in the series! And still he ended up with a haul of 23 wickets.
‘Pant’astic Rishabh with Bat
Pant came off a pretty poor IPL. So everyone wondered how he’d perform in England.
But Pant followed in the footsteps of his skipper. And he had a superb, superb, superb series with the bat.
He was off to a banger of a start with twin centuries. No Indian wicketkeeper had done that before.
Although Pant’s effort didn’t go through, it didn’t hamper his spirits. Rather, he did what he does best – attack!
Pant took the attack to the English bowlers, especially Shoaib Bashir. He literally feasted on Bashir’s off-spin!
And then the daredevil act to play with an injured foot earned him applause. Even then, Pant didn’t stop his usual play.
If not for the injury, Pant would’ve certainly aggregated 500-plus runs. Nevertheless, his 479 runs were worth the money.
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