New Delhi: The 2025 India tour of England will surely be remembered for the highest number of records set and broken—not all of them good. From batting records to terrible runs at the caps, all the numbers from this 5-Test series have been as remarkable as the cricket itself.
The Indian aggregate in the series has reached an unprecedented 3,393, eclipsing the previous maximum of 3,270 recorded during the six-match home series against the West Indies in 1978-79. It is also the highest aggregate scored by any team in a Test series since 1995, thereby underlining the magnitude of India’s batting effort.
Captain Shubman Gill has led from the front, amassing a staggering 743 runs to become the highest-scoring Indian captain in a Test series, eclipsing Sunil Gavaskar’s 732 in 1978–79. Gill’s tally stands as the second-highest for any Indian in a Test series, after Gavaskar’s memorable 774 against West Indies in 1971, and third all-time for any Test captain in a series.
Karun Nair’s Long-Awaited Return
One other memorable (though unenviable) record is Karun Nair’s composed 52* in the series, the first 50-plus score in 3,149 days since his memorable 303 against England in 2016. This layoff is the second-longest for any Indian batter between two 50-plus Test scores (excluding World War II-related interruptions), only behind Parthiv Patel’s wait of 4,426 days between fifties in 2004 and 2016.
The Toss: A Tale of Bad Luck
Batting performances notwithstanding, India has been the most unlucky with the toss. The team has lost 15 tosses on the trot in all formats combined, the most extended streak of toss defeats ever in international men’s cricket. What is the statistical probability of that? An astounding 0.003%.
India has gone five-for-five when it came to losing the toss in this Test series, only the fourth such occasion when India has lost the toss five times or more in a series. The only other team to go through a similar spell in a five-Test series since 2,000? India against England in 2018.
Team Changes at The Oval
For the fifth Test at The Oval, India and England made four changes to their line-ups. This is only the second time since 2003 when two teams have made four or more changes for a Test during a series. The last such occasion was in 2015 when Sri Lanka and Pakistan made four changes each in Kandy.
A series of highs and lows
For India, this series has seen some record-breaking highs and frustrating lows. They have produced historic batting numbers with Shubman Gill making landmark records, and with Karun Nair in form once again. But there were also extremely hard times with the coin.
With the conclusion of this series, it is apparent that India’s 2025 tour of England will be remembered not merely for the cricket played but for the records inscribed in the annals of history.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Retired hurt: England skipper Ben Stokes out of 5th Test against India, Jofra among 4 changes