India staged a strong comeback to draw the inaugural Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. They suffered a loss in the series opener, equalised in the second, then lost again at Lord’s. After a draw in Manchester, they secured a win at the Oval, their second consecutive victory there, drawing the series.

India could have easily won the series 4-0 had they taken their chances, with the Lord’s Test being the biggest missed opportunity. Chasing 193, India were 82/7, but a gritty effort from Ravindra Jadeja and lower-order support from Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj brought them close to victory. However, Siraj’s dismissal ended their hopes. Jadeja’s partnerships with Reddy (30), Bumrah (35), and Siraj (23) gave India a chance for an unlikely win.

The key turning point came with the partnership between Jadeja and Bumrah. While Jadeja held firm, Bumrah played his part, facing 53 balls. Everything was going well until Bumrah’s reckless shot led to his dismissal. Reflecting on this, former India pacer Karsan Ghavri criticised Bumrah for playing a risky stroke. Ghavri also commented on Yashasvi Jaiswal’s duck, labelling his shot as one of the most “ugly” he had ever witnessed. Jaiswal had attempted to pull a wide delivery outside off.

“Criticism is valuable, but it should be constructive. Today, I can criticise Jaiswal for his shot in the second innings at Lord’s. It was one of the worst shots he played, and he shouldn’t have attempted it. I also criticise Jasprit Bumrah for the same reason. When Jadeja is playing responsibly at the other end in the fourth innings, why take unnecessary risks? Just stay there; you’ve already faced 50 deliveries.”

Ghavri, who represented India in 39 Tests and 19 ODIs, defended another controversial moment from the match – Shubman Gill’s outburst after Zak Crawley wasted time just before stumps on Day 3. Although the incident added a new dimension to Gill’s captaincy, particularly in the public eye, Ghavri backed the Indian captain, stating that such actions occur in the ‘heat of the moment.’

“Such things happen in the heat of the moment. Look, Crawley also wasted time. The ICC rules are very clear – a team must bowl 90 overs in a day. You can waste time if you like, but remember that 90 overs must be bowled. These things occur, but one should always approach them with a sporting attitude,” explained the 75-year-old.