The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 ended in a tie. With England winning the first and third tests and India winning the second and fifth tests, the marquee series ended 2-2 after five well-fought encounters. Throughout the series, there were several moments that caught the eye of the fans, with one of the biggest highlights of the series being the resilience of both Rishabh Pant and Chris Woakes.
It is worth noting that Rishabh Pant came out to bat with a fractured toe in the fourth test, whereas Chris Woakes came out to bat with a shoulder injury in the closing moments on day 5 of the fifth test. With the players competing through severe injuries, the question of whether an injury substitute should be allowed in the longest format has been discussed among pundits.
Speaking on the same, former England skipper Nasser Hussain took centre stage and opined that allowing for an injury substitute in tests could mean that teams could use the rule to their advantage by manipulating it.
"I said that view after the Rishabh Pant injury. I know Michael Vaughan sees it differently, he's been talking about having a substitute in the second innings of a game. The moment you bring any change in playing conditions, people will use it, manipulate it to their benefit really. I quite liked the drama of Rishabh Pant hobbling down the stairs at Old Trafford and Chris Woakes doing the same. It's unfortunate obviously but it can be manipulated in general,” Hussain said on Sky Sports’ podcast.
Michael Atherton reflected on the quality of the England-India series
Part of the same discussion, former England cricketer Michael Atherton compared the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 to the Ashes 2005, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest test series of all time. Comparing the two series, Atherton opined that the Ashes 2005 was better.
"It was nice to work with a good broadcaster in 2005, unlike you Nass, sitting beside me (laughs). I don't think the quality was as good as 2005. I don't think I've seen a better series than 2005 Ashes. One great team on the decline and emerging players at the top of their game,” Atherton said