Test Cricket - The Ultimate Test!

Fighters, Comebacks, and Nerve-Wrecking Drama - India tour of England 2025

The India tour of England ran from June 20 to August 4, 2025. India drew the series 2–2, retaining shared honours in the fiercely contested battle. This marked the inaugural contest for the newly minted Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy, replacing the Pataudi Trophy, and India earned moral high ground for their spirited recovery. 

Match 1 - Headingley, Leeds

Result: England won by 5 wickets

England started with a statement of intent, chasing down a daunting 371 in the fourth innings — the highest successful chase against India in Test history on home soil.

• Key Performers: Ben Duckett (62 & 149), Harry Brook (99), Ollie Pope (106), Centuries from Jaiswal, Gill and Pant (134 & 118) Josh Tongue (7 wickets in match)

• Turning Point: A 188-run stand between Duckett and Crawley in the fourth innings that deflated the Indian bowling attack.

• Series Mood: England up 1–0, “Bazball” in full swagger.

Match 2 - Edgbaston, Birmingham

Result: India won by 336 runs

Shubman Gill’s men roared back with an emphatic victory, powered by centuries from Gill (269 & 161) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (87), and a fresh Akash Deep taking 10 wickets in the match.

• Key Performers: Gill, Jaiswal, Akash Deep, Brook (158), Jamie Smith (184 & 88).

• Turning Point: England’s second-innings collapse to 271 all out after being set 608.

• Series Mood: India level 1–1, momentum even.

Match 3 - Lord's, London

Result: England won by 22 runs.

A classic Test match decided by inches — India fell agonisingly short chasing 193. Ben Stokes relentlessness proved the difference.

• Key Performers: Joe Root (104), Ravindra Jadeja (72 & 61), KL Rahul (100)

• Turning Point: Batting Collapse in the second innings before Jadeja stitched partnerships with Bumrah and Siraj.

• Series Mood: England lead 2–1, advantage home side.

Match 5 – Old Trafford, Manchester

Result: Draw

Centuries from Gill (103), Jadeja (107*) and Sundar (101*) along with top order contribution from KL Rahul (90) after India were 0 for 2 in the second innings salvaged a draw.

• Key Performers: Gill, Jadeja, Sundar, Rahul, Root (150), Stokes (141 & 6 wickets in the match).

• Turning Point: Dependable batting from India's middle order on the fifth day.

• Series Mood: England 2–1, but India still alive heading to The Oval.

Match 5 – The Oval, London

Result: India won by 6 runs

One of the greatest finishes in modern Test history — England, chasing 374, were 339/6 overnight and only needed 35 more on Day 5. Siraj produced a fiery spell, picking up 3 wickets on the final morning, sealing the win. Chris Woakes, batting with a dislocated shoulder in a sling, couldn’t prevent defeat.

• Key Performers: Jaiswal (118), Akash Deep (66 in 2nd innings), Siraj (9 wickets in match), Prasidh (8 wickets in the match).

• Turning Point: India picking up 3 wickets late in the evening on day 4 after being beaten all around the park by Root (105) and Brook (111).

• Series Mood: India square the series 2–2, celebrations erupt.

The Numbers behind the Series and the Heroes who battled 

Batting Kings

• Shubman Gill (India) – 754 runs @ 75.40, 4 centuries and 1 double century
  Gill didn’t just bat — he commanded. First series as captain, and he peeled off runs like a man with something to prove. Twice he dragged India out of collapse, once he set up victory, and always he did it with an ice-cool presence that belied the chaos around him. 

• Joe Root (England) – 537 runs @ 67.12, 3 centuries, 1 fifty
  The eternal nemesis of Indian bowlers. When Root’s on song, it’s not aggression or flash that kills you — it’s inevitability. In the first Test at Leeds and the heart-stopping finale at The Oval, he was the one England wanted at the crease when the tension peaked. 

Bowling Aces

• Mohammed Siraj (India) – 23 wickets @ 32.43, best 6/70
  Siraj bowled like a man possessed — his Oval spell will go down in folklore. Three wickets on the final morning with the series on the line? That’s a “win-you-the-war” performance. He bowled an astonishingly number of overs in the five match series (185.3). He swung it late, he hustled batsmen, and he made sure England’s Bazball engine sputtered when it mattered most.

• Josh Tongue (England) – 19 wickets @ 29.05, best 5/125
  The unexpected spearhead. In a lineup with seasoned names, Tongue often delivered the critical breakthrough. Not the flashiest bowler, but his knack for breaking stubborn partnerships — made him invaluable.

The Warriors

• Rishabh Pant (India) – 479 runs @ 68.43, 2 centuries
  His act of courage showed when he hobbled onto the pitch with a fractured foot in the fourth test when the team was in trouble. He scored a fighting 54 and the world would have seen him in the second innings as well if needed. He grimaced, he hobbled, but he refused to let go. His glove work was sharp, his counter-punching batting sharper.

• Chris Woakes (England) – 11 wickets @ 52.18
  Cricket’s version of a soldier refusing to leave the battlefield. Dislocated shoulder in a sling, yet padded up in the final Test because his team needed him. Didn’t face a ball, but his mere presence sent a jolt of defiance through The Oval crowd. He spearheaded the English pace attack with bowling 181 overs in the entire series. 

Takeaways from the Series

• This was Gill’s series. Forget about “new captain pressure” — he owned the challenge, both tactically and with the bat.

• Siraj did in one hour at The Oval what most bowlers dream of doing in a career — snatch victory from certain defeat.

• Root remains the thinking batter’s nightmare — but England’s over-reliance on him was exposed.

• Pant’s grit and Woakes’ warrior spirit reminded everyone why Test cricket isn’t just a sport, it’s theatre with real pain and glory.

• The 2–2 result felt less like a compromise and more like two boxers falling into each other’s arms after going 12 brutal rounds.