England vs India Test series gets a new name

The India vs England series will be renamed after Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson, starting with 5 Tests on June 20. The trophy will be unveiled in the build-up to the IND vs ENG Headingley Test. The trophy was previously named after Nawab of Pataudi, who featured for both India and England in international cricket.

ECB rename Pataudi Trophy to Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy

Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson are two of the greatest cricketers from their respective countries. Tendulkar is the all-time leading run-getter in Test cricket, with 15,921 in 200 Tests. Anderson meanwhile, is England’s most capped with 188 Tests, with 704 wickets making him the highest wicket taker among pacers. The duo faced each other 14 times in Test cricket, with Anderson accounting for Sachin 9 times.

The trophy was previously named after the Nawab of Pataudi, who played for India and England in the 1930s and 1940s. His son, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, played in the 60s, captaining the team. The Pataudi family was informed of the name change. The India vs England series played in India, however renamed unchanged. It was contested as the Anthony de Mello trophy, named after the former BCCI president. Whether BCCI follows ECB’s suit and renames it remains to be seen. The India vs Australia series, meanwhile, is contested as the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, regardless of which country plays as host.

England are the current holders of the Pataudi Trophy after the last series ended in a 2-2 draw. England had won the previous iteration in 2018, beating Virat Kohli’s side 4-1.

The rechristening follows a recent trend in Test cricket. ECB had named the Test series against New Zealand as the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy. It was played for the first time last year, when England toured New Zealand. The series between Australia and Sri Lanka was also renamed, after Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.