Tendulkar vs Anderson Lives On! Why This Test Series Will Hit Different in 2025

Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson are without a doubt two of the most iconic names in Test cricket. Tendulkar, who made his debut in 1989 and retired in 2013, is the highest run-scorer in Test history with 15,921 runs in 200 matches, including 51 centuries which is the most by any batsman. He has scored seven centuries against England, underlining his impact in India-England contests.

James Anderson, the most successful pace bowler in Test history, played for England from 2003 until his final Test in 2024. With 704 wickets in 188 matches, he is only behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708) on the all-time wicket-takers list. Notably, Anderson dismissed Tendulkar nine times in Test cricket in the 14 matches they faced each other; this is more than any other bowler, which makes the naming of the trophy after both even more fitting.

This isn’t the first time Test series have been named after legends. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, and the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy between New Zealand and England are examples of such bilateral series played between the teams.In a historic move that celebrates two of the greatest icons in Test cricket, the upcoming five-match Test series between India and England will now be played for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, replacing the earlier Pataudi Trophy name. This change honours the exceptional contributions of England pacer James Anderson and Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, both legends of the longest format of the game.

Team India is set to face England in a five-match Test series starting June 20 at Headingley. The announcement comes just days ahead of the ICC World Test Championship final, where both Anderson and Tendulkar are expected to unveil the new trophy on June 11 at Lords, adding further significance to the occasion.

Previously, Test series played in England between the two sides was known as the Pataudi Trophy, named after Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi. A unique figure in cricket history, he played for both England and India from the 1930s to the 1940s and captained India in their 1946 tour of England. His son, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, later also captained the Indian team and became a revered figure in Indian cricket. The trophy’s renaming is seen as a shift to honour more contemporary and globally recognized players whose contributions have been monumental in modern cricket.

On the other hand, when India hosts England, the series is played for the Anthony de Mello Trophy, named after one of the founding members of the BCCI and a prominent cricket administrator.

England currently holds the Pataudi Trophy, having drawn the 2021–22 series 2-2 and won the 2018 series 4-1. As the stage is set for another high-stakes battle, the introduction of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy adds a new layer of prestige and narrative to one of cricket’s oldest rivalries.

With the renaming, the legacy of two cricketing giants will now forever be associated with the fierce yet respectful cricketing history between India and England.