If you’re still catching your breath after that crazy finish at the Oval, you aren’t alone. Honestly, the most recent India vs England match wasn't just another game on the calendar; it was the final act of a 2-2 series deadlock that redefined what this rivalry looks like in the post-Rohit, post-Kohli era. Nobody expected a 6-run victory to decide the fate of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, but here we are.
Cricket is weird like that. One minute you're cruising, the next you're watching Mohammed Siraj sprint toward the boundary after a five-wicket haul that basically saved India's skin.
The Shubman Gill era is officially here
Let’s be real for a second. There were plenty of doubts when Shubman Gill took over the Test captaincy. People were worried about the "Prince" handling the pressure of a five-match series in England without the old guard to lean on. But his 269 at Edgbaston? That wasn't just a big score. It was a statement. He didn't just break records; he obliterated them.
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He surpassed Virat Kohli’s 254 to claim the highest individual score by an Indian captain in Test history. Then he turned around and hit 161 in the second innings of that same match. That’s 430 runs in one game. Basically, he decided he wasn't going to lose that week, and he didn't.
But it wasn't just about Gill.
Why the Lord’s loss stung so much
India went into the 3rd Test at Lord’s feeling pretty invincible. Then Joe Root happened. Root became the first player to cross 3,000 Test runs against India, which is just an insane level of consistency if you think about it. India's batting crumbled in the second innings, chasing a target they should have probably knocked off.
They lost by 22 runs.
It was a classic "Welcome to England" moment for the younger guys in the squad. The ball was nipping around, Ben Stokes was bowling like his life depended on it, and India's middle order just sort of evaporated. It’s those kinds of matches that make this rivalry so exhausting to watch as a fan.
What most people get wrong about the 2-2 draw
The common narrative is that India "blew it" after being in such a strong position. I disagree. You’ve got to look at what England did under Stokes and Brendon McCullum. They didn't just play Bazball; they evolved. Jamie Smith, their new keeper, was a revelation. He broke Alec Stewart’s record for the highest score by an English keeper with a 184* that felt like it came out of nowhere.
England put up 669 runs in the 4th Test at Old Trafford. You don't usually draw a game after conceding 600+, but India dug in.
- Ravindra Jadeja hit a gritty 107* to save the game.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal crossed the 2,000-run milestone in record time.
- Akash Deep proved he belongs at this level with a maiden 10-wicket haul.
The series was a slugfest. It was two heavyweights refusing to go down. When we talk about the latest India vs England match, we’re talking about a game where the margin for error was literally zero.
The Mohammed Siraj masterclass at the Oval
If the series was a movie, the 5th Test was the chaotic finale. India was defending a modest target, and the English crowd was roaring. Siraj, who had been a bit hot and cold throughout the summer, chose the perfect moment to peak. His 5/104 in the final innings wasn't just about the wickets; it was the energy.
He was breathing fire.
England needed just 7 runs with one wicket left. The tension was actually sickening. Siraj steaming in, Harry Brook looking to launch everything into the Thames—it was peak Test cricket. When the final wicket fell, giving India a 6-run win, it secured the 2-2 draw and honestly felt like a victory given the circumstances.
The white-ball dominance you might have missed
While everyone was obsessed with the Test series, the limited-overs tour back in early 2025 was a total whitewash. India absolutely dismantled England on home soil.
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Abhishek Sharma happened.
In the 5th T20I at the Wankhede, he smashed 135 off 54 balls. He hit 13 sixes. Read 그 again. Thirteen. He broke the record for the most sixes by an Indian in a T20I, a record previously held by Rohit Sharma. It was brutal. England’s bowlers looked like they wanted to be anywhere else but Mumbai that night.
India won the T20 series 4-1 and swept the ODIs 3-0. It showed that while the Test team is in a transition phase, the white-ball depth is just frighteningly deep.
Actionable takeaways for the next series
If you're following the rivalry heading into the 2026 white-ball tour of England, here’s what you actually need to keep an eye on.
- Watch the Toss: In English conditions, the toss remained the biggest factor in the 2025 series. Teams that bowled first in overcast conditions won more often than not.
- Monitor the Workload: Jasprit Bumrah missed the final Test due to workload management. Expect India to continue rotating their pacers, especially with guys like Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh stepping up.
- The Spin Evolution: Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja are no longer just "backup" options; they are the core of the batting depth. Jadeja becoming the first player to hit 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets in WTC history isn't a fluke.
- Follow the Newbies: Keep an eye on Karun Nair's second wind and Sai Sudharsan's rise. The squad is leaning younger, and their adaptability to swinging conditions is the new metric for success.
The rivalry is no longer about the big names of the past. It’s about a new generation that plays with a lot of "kinda" reckless intent and a "sorta" terrifying level of confidence. Whether it's a 6-run thriller or a 142-run ODI blowout, an India vs England match is currently the highest-quality cricket you can watch on the planet.
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To keep your edge as a fan, focus on the bowling rotations in the first ten overs and how the Indian middle order handles the Dukes ball when the sun goes down. That's where these games are won and lost.