R Ashwin Feels 2025 India-England Series Was “Better” Than the Iconic 2005 Ashes

In R Ashwin's last away Test series for India against England in 2021, the result was the same, as the Men in Blue were held to a 2-2 draw.

R Ashwin Feels 2025 India-England Series Was “Better” Than the Iconic 2005 Ashes

R Ashwin claimed that the 2025 Anderson-Pataudi Trophy was better than the 2005 Ashes. (via ESPN Cricininfo)

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Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made a surprising claim on his YouTube show, while praising the thrilling 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between India and England. Ashwin suggested that it was better than the iconic 2005 Ashes series, between England and Australia.

The inaugural edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, ended in a 2-2 draw. The series provided an exciting finish, with the last two matches delivering dramatic results. The fourth Test ended in a draw, marking the second time in the ‘Baz-ball’ era that England had endured such a result. The fifth and final Test went down to the wire, with India staging a brilliant comeback to win by a mere six runs at The Oval.

India’s brilliant display also marked the beginning of a new era under the leadership of Shubman Gill, who also scored a record-breaking 754 runs. Alongside Gill, other Indian players showed their best, including Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jasprit Bumrah. England, on the other hand, was equally prolific with contributions coming from Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and captain Ben Stokes.

Ex-Indian spinner, R Ashwin, as a result of the dramatic conclusion to the series, emphatically remarked that it was better than the 2005 Ashes, between England and Australia. Speaking on his YouTube show ‘Ash ki Baat’, Ashwin stated that the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy narrowly edged out the 2005 Ashes because the recent series featured a greater number of imperfections from both teams, unlike the Ashes.

The 2005 Ashes series is fondly remembered by England cricket fans as it marked the Three Lions’ first Test series victory over their rivals in over 16 years. The series ended 2-1 in favor of England. Both teams were laden with star power; England’s squad featured captain Michael Vaughan, James Anderson, Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen while the Australian side, led by Ricky Ponting, included names like Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Jason Gillespie.

A lot of people are comparing this series with the 2005 Ashes, but I think this series was slightly better than even the 2005 Ashes, because there was so much more imperfection, from both sides.

Ashwin reasoned that in the 2005 Ashes, very few mistakes were visible because both England and Australia had experienced players. He however, highlighted how this time, players fought back against their own vulnerabilities, making the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy a riveting affair. He pointed out how these players initially struggled but delivered at crucial moments, a contrast to the perfection of the Ashes.

There was a lot of hard-fought cricket [in the 2005 Ashes], where you couldn’t see a lot of mistakes. In this series [India-England 2025], there were a lot of mistakes.

R Ashwin’s conclusion about the two Test series was partially echoed by former England spinner Monty Panesar. After the conclusion of the 2025 India-England series, Panesar claimed that it was the ‘most exciting series’ he had watched since the 2005 Ashes.

R Ashwin Hits Back at Ben Stokes for His ’Joke’ Comment on Injury Substitutions

Former Indian spinner R Ashwin slammed England captain Ben Stokes for labeling injury substitutions as a ‘joke’, calling his statement disrespectful. Stokes had made these comments after the first innings of the Old Trafford Test, where India’s vice-captain Rishabh Pant fractured his toe while batting.

R. Ashwin on Ben Stokes 'joke'
R Ashwin slammed Ben Stokes for his ‘joke’ comment on injury replacements. (via Times of India)

When asked whether India should be allowed to bring in a replacement for the Pant midway, Stokes had dismissed the idea as a ‘joke’. His reaction did not sit well with Ashwin, most recently, hit back at the Three Lions’ skipper for not showing empathy. Ashwin further suggested that ’karma’ came back to haunt Stokes and his team when Chris Woakes found himself in a similar situation at The Oval.

All I’m saying is, show a little empathy for the other team. Using words like ‘joke’ and ‘ridiculous’ isn’t respectful. Think before you speak. Karma hits instantly.

However, the 38-year-old former Indian spinner did acknowledge Woakes’ gritty display, exclaiming that the he was ready to put his body on the line to play for his team. Woakes notably walked out to bat with a dislocated shoulder on the final day of play at the Oval, with his left arm attached to a sling.