Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar picked a combined playing XI for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. As many as eight Indian pacers found spots in Gavaskar’s combined XI.
Top-order and wicketkeeper
As expected, he picked KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as openers. While Rahul has scored 532 runs from 10 innings and an automatic choice ahead of an inconsistent Zak Crawley, the other English opener Ben Duckett did not find a place. Duckett scored more runs (462) than Jaiswal (411) in the series.
Shubman Gill and Joe Root were also automatic choices. Gill missed out on breaking Gavaskar’s record for most runs by an Indian batter in a Test series. He scored 754 runs from 10 innings at an average of 75.40, featuring four centuries. Root scored 537 runs from nine innings at an average of 67.12. He scored a century in The Oval run chase as well to continue his purple patch against India in the format.
Gavaskar picked Rishabh Pant ahead of Jamie Smith as wicketkeeper-batter. A toe fracture ruled him out of the fifth Test. Still, he outscored Smith with 479 runs from seven innings at an average of 68.43, including two centuries and three fifties. On the other hand, a young Smith has a century and 2 fifties in the series as well. He also has a chance to become England's hero on Day 5 and pull off a historic run chase at The Oval.
All-rounders
As pace-bowling all-rounder, it was a no-brainer. England captain Ben Stokes walked into the side. Before a shoulder injury ruled him out of the fifth Test, Stokes scored 304 runs from seven innings at an average of 306, including a ton. With the ball, he was more effective with 17 wickets at an average of 25.24, including a fifer in Manchester Test.
Gavaskar picked Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar as spin-bowling all-rounder. Both have seven wickets each. Jadeja is the fourth-highest run-scorer. He has 516 runs at an average of 86, including a century and five fifties. Sundar has been handy with the bat as well, scoring 284 runs at an average of 47.33, including a century and a fifty.
The pace attack
The three pacers in Gavaskar’s combined XI are India’s pace-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and England’s Josh Tongue. Played in three Tests, Bumrah claimed 14 wickets at an average of 26, including two five-wicket hauls. Siraj is the leading wicket-taker in the series (20 after Day 4). Tongue played three Tests as well and managed to take 19 wickets at just over 29 apiece, including a fifer in the final Test.
England's impactful pacer Jofra Archer could not find a place despite taking nine wickets at an average of 28.67 in two Tests. He made his comeback to Test cricket after four years and played a huge role in the win at The Lord's, London on the final day.
Gavaskar’s combined XI for India-England series -
KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Joe Root, Rishabh Pant, Ben Stokes (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Josh Tongue, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj