India pulled off a six-run win over England in a thrilling finish at The Oval to level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. However, the excitement soon turned into confusion as James Anderson and Sachin Tendulkar were not present during the post-match ceremony.
The absence of both namesakes of the trophy left fans and broadcasters surprised after an epic contest.
No Sign of Anderson, Tendulkar, or Pataudi Family
Despite their presence at the official launch in June, Anderson and Tendulkar missed the finale. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) offered no official explanation for their absence.
Earlier this year, ECB replaced the historic Pataudi Trophy with the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, honoring two iconic cricketers. Their non-appearance during the final presentation raised eyebrows.
To add to the confusion, the Pataudi medal was not presented by any member of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s family. Instead, it was quietly handed to Shubman Gill and Ben Stokes.
When the Pataudi Trophy was first introduced in 2007, Mansoor Ali Khan himself presented the award to Rahul Dravid after India’s win.
Siraj’s Magic Turns the Match for India
While the post-match scene puzzled many, the Test match had its own drama. England required 35 more runs on Day 5 with four wickets in hand.
Jamie Overton quickly hit two boundaries, taking the chase closer. But Mohammed Siraj stepped up with match-turning spells.
He claimed three of the final four wickets and finished with a second-innings five-wicket haul. Siraj was also the top wicket-taker in the series with 23 scalps. His deadly yorker to dismiss Gus Atkinson sealed India’s win.
“I thought the match was gone. Had we got Harry Brook out before lunch, things would have been different. There would have been no fifth day. That was a game-changing moment. But we came back strongly after that,” Siraj said.
“When I woke up this morning, I told myself I would change the game. I opened Google, downloaded a ‘believe’ image and put that as my phone wallpaper,” he added.
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