Beyond the Game
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Relive 25 Days of Test Drama from India’s 2025 Tour of England

The India tour of England 2025 has officially ended, with the series ending in a 2-2 draw. With 25 proper days of Test cricket, both teams showcased their best to win the series. Every match was filled with thrilling moments, putting the fans on the edge of their seats.

India's 2025 tour of England has officially concluded.
Image: India's 2025 tour of England has officially concluded / © ESPNcricinfo

India’s tour of England, a much-anticipated Test series involving five matches, has officially ended. There was a time when fans thought that England would be taking the trophy home, as they looked strong favourites to win the series.

With all five matches ending this series, both teams have an impressive record. All the matches of this series have gone till the final day for the match result, and none have even ended on the fourth day. This shows the intensity both teams brought to the game, making every match an Absolute Cinema.

Both teams can be proud of their series performances.
Image: Both teams can be proud of their series performances / © ESPNcricinfo

India and England are both headed by a young side, with just a few experienced players. Legendary stars such as Virat Kohli, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Rohit Sharma, and many more have already announced their retirement from the Test format, giving room to the new generation to take over.

Shubman Gill, taking the helm as India’s captain, has now received a strong start to his Test captaincy, as he made a statement with this series draw. Let’s relive the moments of this iconic India tour of England 2025, where both teams gave their everything to take the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy home.

First Test

The first Test match of this series was being played at Headingley, marking the captaincy debut for Shubman Gill. India lost the toss in this game, and England pushed a young Indian player to bat first. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal gave the team a strong start, but quick wickets by Rahul and Sudharsan followed.

England vs India, 1st Test, Leeds
1st Innings
India: 471 (113 Overs)England: 465 (100.4 Overs)
Shubman Gill: 147 (227)Ollie Pope: 106 (137)
Ben Stokes: 4/66Jasprit Bumrah: 5/83
2nd Innings
India: 364 (96 Overs)England: 373/5 (82 Overs)
KL Rahul: 137 (247)Ben Duckett: 149 (170)
Josh Tongue: 3/72Shardul Thakur: 2/51
England won by 5 Wickets

Later, the team’s middle order showcased resilience, combining with its top order strength. Thus, Shubman Gill (147), Rishabh Pant (134), and Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) helped India reach a total of 471 in the first innings. But England didn’t step back, as they also showcased a fight.

Ollie Pope scored 106 runs off 137 balls, while Harry Brook missed out on his century after being dismissed on 99. Still, the team reached the score of 465, as Jasprit Bumrah took a five-wicket haul to stop them from taking a lead.

KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant changed the game in India's favour.
Image: KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant changed the game in India’s favour / © ESPNcricinfo

The team lost quick wickets in the initial phase of the innings, putting them down at 92/3. At this moment, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant joined hands and changed the game in India’s favour. Both created a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket before Pant lost his wicket.

KL Rahul scored 137 runs before losing his wicket to Brydon Carse. India stood at the score of 333/5, and at this moment, fans thought the tailenders could add some more to reach 400. But they failed to score well, as the team got all out for 364 runs.

England secured a victory by a margin of 5 wickets.
Image: England secured a victory by a margin of 5 wickets / © ESPNcricinfo

The team received an intense start from the openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, as both of them put 188 runs for the first wicket. Following this, the team lost quick wickets, putting them at the score of 253/4, but it was too late. Joe Root and Jamie Smith remained unbeaten, as England managed to win the game by 5 wickets.

Second Test

As India lost the first Test, Jasprit Bumrah was made unavailable for the next game. Fans also criticised the team’s selectors, saying Rohit and Virat should not have retired ahead of the series. India once again lost the toss, and this time, they were sent to bat first.

England vs India, 2nd Test, Birmingham
1st Innings
India: 587 (151 Overs)England: 407 (89.3 Overs)
Shubman Gill: 269 (387)Jamie Smith: 184* (207)
Shoaib Bashir: 3/167Mohammed Siraj: 6/70
2nd Innings
India: 427/6d (83 Overs)England: 271 (68.1 Overs)
Shubman Gill: 161 (162)Jamie Smith: 88 (99)
Shoaib Bashir: 2/119Akash Deep: 6/99
India won by 336 Runs

This decision came badly for the English captain, Ben Stokes, as the Indian batters dominated their bowlers. Yashasvi Jaiswal started with a magnificent 87-run inning, giving a hand to the captain, Shubman Gill. He came out to be equally dominant, scoring 269 runs off 387 balls, before losing his wicket to Tongue. Jadeja and Sundar also contributed well to put the team at 587.

In return, England seemed to have no answers against India’s bowling line-up, as they stood at the score of 84 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. But at this moment, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith decided to turn the game. They had a 302-run stand for the 6th wicket, with both batsmen scoring centuries. Eventually, England scored 407 runs, with Siraj taking 6 wickets for India.

Rahul started off with a blistering half-century.
Image: Rahul started off with a blistering half-century / © ESPNcricinfo

India now had to set a target, and this time, KL Rahul showcased his class along with Gill, Pant, and Jadeja. Rahul started off with a blistering half-century, while the captain, Shubman Gill, scored 161 runs off 162 balls, putting the team in a strong position. Rishabh Pant (65) and Ravindra Jadeja (69) further helped India to score 427.

England now had to chase down the mammoth target of 608, but the team lost wickets quickly, standing at the score of 83/5. Jamie Smith, scoring 88 runs, tried giving a fight but lost his wicket to Akash Deep. Ultimately, England got bowled out for 271, allowing India to win by 336 runs and level the series.

Third Test

After the series was levelled at 1-1, both teams met each other at Lord’s. Once again, India went on to lose the toss and England decided to go bat first in this game. Jofra Archer marked his comeback to the Test format after 4 years, which played a crucial role for England in this game.

England vs India, 3rd Test, Lord’s
1st Innings
England: 387 (112.3 Overs)India: 387 (119.2 Overs)
Joe Root: 104 (199)KL Rahul: 100 (177)
Jasprit Bumrah: 5/74Chris Woakes: 3/84
2nd Innings
England: 192 (62.1 Overs)India: 170 (74.5 Overs)
Joe Root: 40 (96)Ravindra Jadeja: 61* (181)
Washington Sundar: 4/22Ben Stokes: 3/48
England won by 22 Runs

The team was unable to start strongly, with Nitish Kumar Reddy dismissing both openers. But Joe Root eventually found his form and went on to score 104 runs off 199 balls. Later, Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse also scored half-centuries, which helped England to score 387.

When India came out to bat, Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed cheaply. But KL Rahul and Karun Nair had a well-set partnership for the second wicket. Rahul went on to score 100 runs off 177 balls in tough conditions. This was followed by an interesting stand between Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. But India was also bowled out for an exact total of 387.

Indian bowlers showcased the great performances.
Image: Indian bowlers showcased the great performances / © ESPNcricinfo

Indian bowlers showcased some great performances in England’s second innings, bowling them all out for just 192. Only Joe Root and Ben Stokes were able to score above 30 runs in this innings, as Sundar took 4 wickets. Now India had the target of 193, but the team stood at the challenging spot of 82/7.

Ravindra Jadeja showcased a fight with the lower order, pulling the game till the end. The end was not as the fans expected, as Siraj was unfortunately bowled out in a delivery against Shoaib Bashir. Thus, England ended up winning by a margin of just 22 runs.

Fourth Test

With England having a lead of 2-1, both teams met each other at Manchester, where England yet again won the toss and sent India to bat first. This decision favoured the team, as they were able to bowl out India for 358. Jaiswal, Sudharsan, and Pant were able to smash half-centuries.

England vs India, 4th Test, Manchester
1st Innings
India: 358 (114.1 Overs)England: 669 (157.1 Overs)
Sai Sudharsan: 61 (151)Joe Root: 150 (248)
Ben Stokes: 5/72Ravindra Jadeja: 4/143
2nd Innings
India: 425/4 (143 Overs)
Ravindra Jadeja: 107* (185)
Chris Woakes: 2/67
Match Drawn 

But after that, the onslaught of English batsmen started against the Indian bowlers. Zak Crawley (84), Ben Duckett (94), and Ollie Pope (71) gave a strong start to the team. This was eventually followed by a partnership between Ben Stokes and Joe Root.

Stokes scored 141 as Root ended up scoring 150 runs, which helped England score a total of 669 runs. Now, it looked challenging for India to come into the lead as the team lost the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan in the very first over.

KL Rahul and Shubman Gill led the fight after the quick wickets.
Image: KL Rahul and Shubman Gill led the fight after the quick wickets / © ESPNcricinfo

However, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill led the fight after the quick wickets, as they ended up scoring 188 runs for the third wicket. After they lost their wickets, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja stepped in to trouble the English bowlers. Thus, India ended up scoring 425/4, before both teams decided to call off the match for a draw.

Fifth Test

For India, everything was down the line for the fifth Test, as they wanted a win to level the series. This match was being played at the Oval, and England yet again won the toss and decided to send India to bat first. This decision favoured the team to a great extent, as they were able to bowl out India for just 224.

England vs India, 5th Test, The Oval
1st Innings
India: 224 (69.4 Overs)England: 247 (51.2 Overs)
Karun Nair: 57 (109)Zak Crawley: 64 (57)
Gus Atkinson: 5/33Prasidh Krishna: 4/62
2nd Innings
India: 396 (88 Overs)England: 367 (85.1 Overs)
Yashasvi Jaiswal: 118 (164)Harry Brook: 111 (98)
Josh Tongue: 5/125Mohammed Siraj: 5/104
India won by 6 Runs

England had a good start with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, but after they were out, the team lost quick wickets. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith tried their best to stabilise the team’s score, as Brook smashed a half-century, but a lack of contribution from the lower order put the team at the score of 247.

India started with a trial of 23 runs, as Yashasvi Jaiswal took the fire mode. By the end of day 2, the team stood at 70/2, and the night watchman, Akash Deep, stood at the crease. He went on to score 66 runs against England, as Jaiswal scored 118 runs off 164 balls to help India post a big total. This was followed by half-centuries of Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja, as India scored 396.

Indian bowlers started to dominate.
Image: Indian bowlers started to dominate / © ESPNcricinfo

England had the target of 374, and the Indian bowlers started to dominate early, putting them at 106/3. But Harry Brook and Joe Root had some other plans, as they scored 195 runs for the 4th wicket. Both of them lost their wickets in quick succession, putting the team at the score of 337/6. By the end of day 4, the team needed 35 runs to win the game.

However, on Day 5, India were strong enough to restrict England from reaching the target. Mohammed Siraj came as the star, taking three of the final four wickets, as Prasidh Krishna also contributed with a wicket. A game which once seemed to be an easy win for England ended up being in India’s favour, thanks to the strong bowling line-up.

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