In one of the greatest Test series of the modern era, England and India have finished all-square on 2-2 after the fifth and final Test. India completed their victory by just six runs in the final game at The Oval on Monday, 4th August 2025. England came close to chasing down the challenging target of 374, but ultimately it was India’s bowlers who were celebrating, especially Mohammed Siraj, who posted figures of 5 for 104 in the final innings.
The series as a whole has been full of exceptional cricket, the odd controversial moment and no end of excitement as two very fine teams battled it out for supremacy. In this article, we’ll take a brief look back at each of the five Tests to pick out the heroes and villains.
First Test: 20th to 24 June 2025, Headingley – England Win by 5 Wickets
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The series kicked off in Leeds back in June, and after winning the toss, England opted to put India in to bat. The home side might have begun to rue the decision when India started brightly, and especially when Yashasvi Jaiswal, captain Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant each made centuries. But Ben Stokes and Josh Tongue made short order of the Indian tail, and they limited them to a first-innings total of 471.
England responded with a measured batting display which almost matched that of India, although it saw only one player reach triple figures: Ollie Pope, who scored 106. Brook came agonisingly close to a century but was caught on 99, while eight of the 11 players scored 20 or more to leave England on a total of 465.
Further centuries from Pant (118) and KL Rahul (137) in India’s second innings helped them to a decent total of 364, setting England a tough chase of 370 to win. Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett did most of the legwork with 65 and 149 respectively, with Joe Root adding a creditable 53 and Stokes (33) and Jamie Smith (44 not out) getting England over the line to win by five wickets and go 1-0 up in the series.
Second Test: 2nd to 6th July 2025, Edgbaston – India Win by 336 Runs
While the first Test was a close encounter, India ran away with the second in Birmingham. England once again won the toss and decided to field, and this time it certainly proved a poor decision as the tourists raced to an impressive total of 587 all out. The lion’s share of those runs was scored by captain Gill as he posted a mammoth total of 269 from 387 balls, with Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja both chipping in with 80+.
England’s top order couldn’t get a foothold when they came in, with Crawley making 19 but Duckett and Pope failing to score. Root could only make 22, and things were looking dire, but Brook brought some semblance of respectability to the innings with a fine knock of 158. Stokes was one of six England batters to get out for a duck, but Smith smashed a fine 187 from 207 balls to at least give the home side a chance, despite getting bowled out for 407.
India turned the screw in their second innings, however, with Gill again doing serious damage with a brilliant 161 from 162 balls. They declared on 427 for 6 and England fell miles short of their target, eventually getting skittled for just 271. India won by 336 runs to level the series, and Stokes and his men faced serious questions about their tactics and decision not to bat first.
Third Test: 10th to 14th July 2025, Lord’s – England Win by 22 Runs
Perhaps England took some of the criticism from the second Test on board, because when they won the toss yet again in the third, they opted to bat. This time, there was only one centurion for the home side, Root, who eased to 104 from 199 balls. England were all out for 387, which seemed a reasonable if not exceptional total. Jasprit Bumrah took five wickets for just 74 runs.
Typifying the close nature of the series, India responded with exactly the same total of 387 all out, with Rahul their sole centurion. England were uncharacteristically cautious in their second innings and tried not to take too many chances. That resulted in a relatively modest total of 192, Root the highest scorer with 40.
India looked hopeful of chasing down the target, but England’s bowlers put in very good shifts to limit the tourists’ chances to score while picking up wickets. Stokes bowled a total of 24 overs at exactly 2.0 runs per over, taking three wickets. While Jofra Archer, who’d returned to the Test side for the first time in more than four years, also took three wickets, for 55 runs from 16 overs. As it was, the bowlers won the day, and England won by just 22 runs to go 2-1 up in the series.
Fourth Test: 23rd to 27th July 2025, Old Trafford – Match Drawn
The only draw of the series came in the penultimate Test. If matches were decided on coin tosses alone, England would be home and hosed as they once again won, and went to the field. Stokes was the hero with the ball in the first innings, taking five wickets for 72 runs, again Archer chipping in with three wickets, as India were all out for 358.
In a fantastic batting display, England essentially put the win beyond their opponents in their first innings. Crawley scored 84, Duckett 94, and Pope 71. But the legend that is Joe Root hit a fine 150 from 248 balls, while Stokes showed he’s still got plenty of runs in him with an impressive 141 from 198 balls. England were eventually bowled out for 699 and had the task of bowling India out on a pitch that was doing very little.
As it turned out, the England bowlers couldn’t get the breakthroughs they needed in time and India ended on 425 for 4 as the sides accepted a draw.
Fifth Test: 31st July to 4th August 2025, The Oval – India Win by 6 Runs
So it was all to play for in the final Test at The Oval. And – surprise, surprise – England won the toss (someone has to check those coins aren’t weighted!) and, of course, opted to field. Surrey quick Gus Atkinson did damage to India’s batters in the first innings, taking five wickets for just 33 runs off 21.4 overs. Tongue added a further three wickets and the home side restricted India to a total of just 224.
England saw this as a great opportunity, but unfortunately, could not build up a decent first-innings lead. In tricky batting conditions, they amassed just 247, Crawley top-scoring with 64. Things brightened up from a batting point of view in the second innings for India as Jaiswal led the charge with 118 off 164 balls. Akash Deep added 66 and Jadeja 53 as England eventually bowled India out for 396, Tongue taking five for 125.
With the series win in their sights, both Root and Brook hit incredible centuries, but the home side fell agonisingly short, and even late heroics from Woakes (who came out to bat with one arm in a sling) couldn’t prevent India’s victory by six runs. It was the perfect, dramatic, end to an incredible series and a great advert for Test cricket.