James Anderson expressed his delight at being permanently linked to the England-India Test rivalry after the ECB and BCCI decided to name the newly introduced series trophy after him and Sachin Tendulkar, marking the end of the Pataudi Trophy era. Anderson, often regarded as one of cricket’s finest bowlers, described the recognition as a “huge honour.”
The newly christened Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will debut in the forthcoming five-match Test series commencing at Headingley on June 20. Ahead of this, both Anderson and Tendulkar are set to attend the official unveiling during the World Test Championship final at Lord’s.
Anderson shared his sentiments with ESPNcricinfo during an event at Lord’s, stating, “It’s a huge honour… Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up. I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Tendulkar and Anderson are giants in their own right, with Tendulkar holding the record of 200 Test caps and accumulating 15,921 runs, while Anderson holds the record for the most Test wickets by a fast bowler, with his last wicket tallying at 704. Their careers spanned over 35 years collectively, intersecting on the pitch 14 times, with Anderson dismissing Tendulkar nine times.
Reflecting on his career’s breadth, Anderson remarked, “Time flies. I’m playing with guys at Lancashire now, and I had 50 Test wickets before they were born. It’s a bit strange how things work out.”
Throughout his illustrious 21-year Test career, Anderson frequently faced India, bagging 149 wickets over 39 matches against them. His standout performances include spearheading England to an unforgettable win in Mumbai in the 2005-06 series and contributing significantly to England’s triumphs at home and abroad in 2011 and 2012-13, propelling England to the pinnacle of the ICC Test rankings.
Despite his achievements, Anderson was also part of five series losses to India, including a tough away series in 2024 where he reached his 700th Test wicket milestone. Reflecting on these encounters, Anderson commented, “There are some great memories, I always loved playing against India. It’s always a tough series to go through, especially in India. But winning there is really special, and some of the battles we had in England were great. They had some amazing players.”
As the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series approaches, Anderson anticipates another spirited contest akin to the 2-2 draw from India’s last tour to England three years ago, which promises to be a thrilling affair for players and fans alike.
