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Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has berated the England and Wales Cricket Board for not inviting Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson to present the distinguished trophy to both sides following the conclusion of the epic five-match Test competition recently named after the two legends. The red-ball series ended in a 2-2 draw after India’s six-run win over the English side at The Oval. Following the stalemate series, neither Tendulkar nor Anderson was present to hand the trophy to the captains from both teams. Both Tendulkar and Anderson are pivotal figures in the history of Indian and English cricket teams.
In his column on SportStar, Sunil Gavaskar questioned ECB's conduct and drew similarities to what happened after the end of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, where he was not included in the presentation ceremony and it was just Allan Border, who handed the the trophy to the victorious side at the end of the series. "This was the first-ever series named after Sachin Tendulkar and Jimmy Anderson, two of cricket's greatest legends. One would have expected both to be present to hand the trophy to the two captains, especially since the series ended in a draw. To the best of one's knowledge, both were in England at the time. So, were they simply not invited? Or was this similar to what happened in Australia earlier this year, when only Allan Border was asked to present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy because Australia had won the series? Since this England series was drawn, perhaps neither was asked to attend the presentation,” penned Gavaskar in his column.
Sunil Gavaskar reveals his favourite moment from the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025
Sunil Gavaskar revealed that Mohammed Siraj’s yorker that stunned Gus Atkinson was the favourite moment for him from the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. “The enduring memory will always be Mohammed Siraj’s yorker that flattened the off-stump of Gus Atkinson to give India a win to level the series. After the disappointing last season in Test cricket, this would no doubt be the happiest moment in recent times for Indian cricket lovers. Thank you, Shubman, and your boys,” wrote Gavaskar.
Siraj was stunning with the ball for India on the final day of the fifth Test of the series played at The Oval. With India required to win four wickets on the last day, the pacer stepped up and claimed three wickets to help his side conclude the competition in a stalemate by 2-2.
