Stats - 25 days, 6736 runs, 1860.4 overs, 41 dropped catches
It was a series that nearly went the full distance, and India and England almost matched each other blow for blow (except when they didn't)
Shubh Agarwal
05-Aug-2025
India's summer in England was a tour to remember. It was the first time where two Tests in a series were decided with the margin of under 25 runs. It was also only the fourth five-match series in the 21st century to have play going to day five in every Test. Eventually, a 2-2 draw left both sides with a bittersweet feeling.
A look at the numbers show there was little to separate both sides - be it in batting or bowling. England averaged 37.57 with the bat, India only a little better at 39.77. England picked up 88 wickets averaging 41.84 runs apiece while India took 84 wickets at 38.38. However, there were different elements that gave each team an advantage at different points in the series.
Series-defining scoring patterns
It was another series that confirmed the shift in nature of Test pitches in England: from being bowling friendly to helping batters score big. A total of 6736 runs were scored by the batters, the second highest in any series, only 20 runs short of the 1993 Ashes.There were a total of 19 century partnerships too, the joint-most for a series. The 21 hundreds hit were the joint-most alongside Australia's tour of West Indies in 1955. Had Harry Brook not got out on 99 in Leeds, it would have been a record.
The 12 hundreds scored by India were the most for them in a series while England struck nine tons. Interestingly, they had different templates for their success.
England looked most in charge until losing their first wicket. Their opening wicket averaged 65.44 versus India's 34.10. India lost their first wicket within the first 10 overs eight out of the 10 times they batted. England lost it only five times in their nine innings.
Moreover, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley scored 4.34 runs per over while India scored a run slower in this phase going at 3.36. Even though India's opening pair of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal scored four hundreds between them, Duckett and Crawley were more assertive as an opening duo.
Jadeja scored 516 runs in the series batting at Nos. 6 or 7. He had the most 50-plus scores (six) and became only the sixth batter to score over 500 runs in a series batting at Nos. 6 or 7. He was out in the second innings only once in these five Tests.
Toil for the bowlers
A record series for the batters means a hard toil for the bowlers. The series had 1860.4 overs, the highest for a series in England in the 21st century. There were 14 350-plus team totals and 14 times an innings lasted over 80 overs - both a record for any Test series.
England were in the park for 1052 overs, the most they have bowled in a series since 2000. It was only the second time they bowled over 1000 overs in a series with their Ashes tour of 2017/18 being the other occasion. Their captain Ben Stokes embraced this challenge, sending down 140 overs, the most he has bowled in a series despite missing the fifth Test due to an injury.
Mohammed Siraj had a big hand to play here. Playing all five Tests, Siraj bowled 1113 deliveries in the series, becoming only the second bowler in the series alongside Chris Woakes to bowl over 1000 balls. With 23 wickets, he was the highest wicket-taker too, coming at 48.3 balls per dismissal. This is the best bowling strike-rate for an India pacer in an away series (min. 1000 balls bowled).
Butter fingers at big moments
The series also topped the charts for most dropped catches. A total of 41 catching opportunities went down, the most in a series since ball-by-ball data is available for fielding (since 2018). Both sides have also developed a reputation of spilling catches. Three of the top four series for most dropped chances are between India and England, the other two being when India toured England in 2021/22 (37) and in 2018 (32).
On this tour, India spilled 23 chances, the most for them in a series - seven more than the time they toured Australia in 2018/19.
When it came to reviewing lbw decisions while bowling, both teams could overturn the on-field call only twice each across these five Test matches.
Shubh Agarwal is a senior stats analyst at ESPNcricinfo