England vs India 2025 is on course to become the longest and toughest Test series of the 21st century-with 2000 overs, unrelenting partnerships, and shattered bowling spines
The 2025 edition of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy has become a test of resilience, not just for batters, but more so for bowlers. India and England have fought fiercely across four riveting Tests, with every match spilling into the fifth day.
India's record at The Oval may stand at two wins from 15 matches, but this series has already etched its own place in history for the sheer effort it has demanded from bowlers. With the final Test at The Oval approaching, the figures present a sobering picture: the series has consumed overs and sessions like no other in recent memory.
Out of the 26 five-match Test series played in the 21st century, only three have extended into the final day of each match. This series could join that select group if the fifth Test at The Oval lasts until the end. The last time such endurance was displayed was during the Ashes in 2017–18, with other instances being South Africa's 2000–01 tour of the West Indies and England's 2004–05 series in South Africa.
The first four Tests have already lasted over 1566.3 overs, the third-highest total for any series at this stage since 2002. That figure is just 27 and 13 overs short of the massive workloads during Australia's tour of India in 2008–09 and India's 2014–15 series in Australia. If the Oval Test reaches the final session on day five, it will be the first series since 2002 to surpass the 2000-over mark. The current benchmark stands at 1989.4 overs, set during England's tour of India in 2016–17.
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This series has been relentless on bowlers, averaging 391.3 overs per Test—the highest ever in England and the fourth-highest worldwide in series of four or more matches since 2002. Each of the four Tests so far has exceeded 350 overs, a feat matched only by the Ashes in 2017–18.
The battle of attrition has been most evident in the partnerships. There have already been 17 century stands, joint-most in a series since 2000, alongside the Border–Gavaskar Trophy in 2003–04. Even more punishing, 15 partnerships have exceeded 180 balls—roughly the duration of a full session. That count is the joint fourth-most since 2000. Once set, batters have been nearly impossible to dislodge, converting 18 of the 40 scores of fifty or more into centuries, a conversion rate of 45%, the second-best for any series with 35 or more fifty-plus scores.
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The pace bowlers have shouldered over 70% of the workload, sending down 1105.2 overs so far. That's the second-highest number of overs bowled by pacers in the first four Tests of a series since 2005, behind only the 1133.2 overs in the 2017–18 Ashes. England's experienced attack, led by James Anderson, and India's pace unit, fronted by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, have been forced into spells that test their physical and mental endurance.
Batting dominance has exacerbated the bowlers' plight. Teams have surpassed 350 runs in 12 of the 15 innings, exceeding the totals of several legendary five-match series, including the Ashes of 1928–29 and 1948. The relentless run-scoring has left bowlers struggling for breakthroughs, and there is little hope of relief, with The Oval likely to produce another flat pitch in the series conclusion.
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The Tendulkar–Anderson Trophy has already become part of the longest, most fiercely contested series of the century. A full five days at The Oval will make it only the fourth such series since 2000 where every match reached the final day. For the bowlers, it will be yet another week of hard work under unforgiving conditions, with every over pushing them further to the edge.
In the end, this series has reminded everyone that Test cricket, at its purest, rewards persistence. The fifth Test now carries the significance not only of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy but also the opportunity to inscribe its name alongside the most gruelling contests in modern cricket.
