England and India’s fierce rivalry has set the standard for entertaining Test cricket, producing four thrilling matches with breathtaking finishes in recent series between the India National Cricket Team Vs England Cricket Team.
Virat Kohli currently outpaces Joe Root in Test batting averages, yet his conversion rate in England still needs improvement. Ravindra Jadeja’s influence with spin can’t be denied, as his accuracy consistently restricts scoring under pressure situations.
| Innings | Runs | Overs | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| England (1st Innings) | 171/9 | 20.0 | Batting first in Rajkot — England scored 171/9 (ESPN) |
| India (2nd Innings) | 145/9 | 20.0 | Chasing 172 — India finished 145/9 (ESPN) |
| Result | — | — | England won by 26 runs (ESPN) |
| Player of the Match | — | — | Varun Chakravarthy (5/24) (ESPN) |
India vs England 2025
The England-India series of 2025 will go down as one of the greatest test series ever played. Packed into seven weeks, with five matches packed into each week of unrelenting seesaw drama, this test series provided plenty of entertainment. There were over 7000 runs scored with 21 individual centuries scored by players across five matches! Crowds packed stadiums while tempers flared at times – it truly showcased everything great about Test cricket.
At Headingley, the series began when England reduced India to 289 all out in their first innings and in response they responded with 387; Joe Root’s 104 and KL Rahul’s 141 helped bring England close but it ultimately proved too little too late as Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar shared an exceptional sixth-wicket partnership of 196 in the second innings to break through England’s defenses and secure victory.
Sundar and Jadeja caused India to change their strategy, and their plans were put on the backburner as India reached 374 runs and set England a target of 352. But, despite Jofra Archer taking his maiden Test wicket and Gus Atkinson hitting 106 not out, Mohammed Siraj took control on the final day. At lunch on that final day Winviz estimated England had an 80% chance of victory, and after Jos Buttler fell lbw to Siraj things moved closer for England with every wicket that fell lbw.
India’s Virat Kohli
Kohli stood out among young Indian batsmen with his passion and discipline as an aggressive but disciplined batsman. After leading India to win their inaugural U-19 World Cup title in 2008, he quickly graduated to senior team level, quickly earning himself the nickname of ‘chase master’ due to his ability to lead innings through chases to victory for India. In 2009 against Sri Lanka he scored his maiden ODI century before breaking into Test squad that year and leading India’s success at 2011 ODI World Cup tournament where India ultimately secured their maiden title!
He continued his ODI success, scoring several hundreds on tours to England, which culminated in him breaking a 10-year old record by leading with two double centuries on that tour. Since then he has also captained his side at the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and in 2022 became the fastest player ever to reach 20,000 international runs across all formats with 54 innings less played than Sachin Tendulkar had done previously.
Kohli may exude arrogance at times, but there’s no mistaking his love of cricket or commitment to becoming the best player possible. He displays a tireless work ethic, spending hours on training fields meticulously going over every aspect of his game with coach Lalchand Rajput. Later in life he spoke candidly about visualising hostile conditions, crowds and spells prior to each overseas tour in order to prepare mentally for what lay ahead – this mental strength of Kohli being his ultimate strength over any physical capabilities he might possess!
India’s Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja is an extremely capable left-arm spin bowler who has become an integral member of India’s Test side over time. In addition to his bowling prowess and strong batting ability, which pose threats against opposing batsmen on subcontinental pitches. Indeed, he has proven one of the most valuable members of both their limited overs and Test squads over recent years.
Jadeja’s career has been marked by inconsistency and injury, yet his resilience and enthusiasm for cricket make him an inspirational role model for young Indian cricketers. Born in Gujarat, all-rounder Jadeja exemplifies modern-day cricketer who can make an impactful statement with both bat and ball.
India has taken full advantage of Jadeja’s potential and relied heavily on him as the driving force for their recent success in test matches against England and Australia. Jadeja was instrumental in winning both the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy as well as their 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.
Jadeja stands out as both an all-rounder and fielder. He boasts impressive achievements on both fronts, including two five-wicket hauls against Australia in early 2021 that marked the first five-wicket hauls outside India for him in his career – both times earning Player of the Match accolades in their respective innings.
Jadeja will go down as an iconic all-rounder in Indian cricket history for his consistently outstanding performances that can alter the course of a match, cementing his place among India’s great all-rounders. Looking ahead, Jadeja appears destined to play an integral part in helping India maintain dominance across all formats of cricket.
India’s Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket. His unorthodox action and unflappable temperament have helped India secure remarkable victories at major tournaments under his bowling. Bumrah excels with both new ball bowling, death overs bowling and under lights – becoming India’s go-to match-winner regardless of conditions.
Bumrah made his ODI and T20I debuts within days of each other during India’s tour of Australia in 2015-16, taking three wickets including Steven Smith’s in an ODI series and playing an integral part in India winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, earning Player of the Tournament honors along the way.
Bumrah became the first Indian bowler ever to top the International Cricket Council Test rankings in February 2024. His achievements earned him much praise from others including Ricky Ponting who called him an enigma of modern cricket. Bumrah will play an instrumental role in India’s squad when they face England beginning with Leeds Test commencing 24 May.
Bumrah has achieved great success on the field, yet has struggled to find happiness outside it. He has experienced several relationship difficulties and been linked with several women during this period; earlier this year it was reported that Bumrah and Sanjana Ganesan had separated after just two years of marriage.
Bumrah employs an unconventional bowling approach that could pose serious difficulties to England batsmen. His high arm speed and fast-running delivery place great strain on batters to connect with the ball; when this does not happen, Bumrah can swing it both ways for maximum damage potential.
India’s Alastair Cook
After an underwhelming 2017, Cook was removed as England captain and replaced by Joe Root. Though only managing one fifty in his debut Test against South Africa, he soon started finding his groove as England posted over 300 runs against them and Cook managed to make up over 300 himself by reaching 243 runs – surpassing Graham Gooch as their leading batsman with regard to test centuries.
In the third Test he failed to pass fifty again as England suffered defeat and ultimately lost the series 3-0 against Australia. But in the fourth Test he made two fifties as England posted an incredible 532 total and this marks his 10,000th Test run milestone!
Tim Bresnan, Glen Chapple and Alan Richardson also earned Wisden’s Cricketer of the Year honor. Cook struggled early on against Sri Lanka as England were defeated. But in the third ODI match England eventually won to draw even in their series at 1-1 with Cook’s unbeaten 71 leading them back from defeat 2-1.
Cook was then appointed captain for an ODI series against Pakistan but failed to help win any matches, with 24 and 37 scored during his two innings and missing out on a century in their loss to England. Cook retired from international cricket but continues to play domestic cricket with Essex while working at BBC radio’s Test Match Special program.