Michael Vaughan and David Lloyd snub England in picks for 'Best Team, Batter & Bowler' from 2025 series

The five-match Test series between India and England concluded with a 2-2 draw at The Oval in London on Monday, August 4. Former England captain Michael Vaughan shared his insights on the series and also named his picks for the best team, top batter, and leading bowler from the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

India defended a target of 374 runs to win the final Test at The Oval. The five-match series ended in a draw, but players from both sides entertained fans with standout performances. While the pitches favored batters across the five venues, bowlers still made significant impacts during the red-ball matches.

Michael Vaughan Picks Best Team, Top Batter, and Leading Bowler from Series

After the India-England series concluded, Michael Vaughan, a commentator and analyst, was asked on the Stick to Cricket podcast to pick the best bowler and batter of the series.

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Vaughan praised the young Indian team, saying they outperformed the English hosts throughout the five-match contest. Although India won more sessions, they faltered at key moments, which led to some losses.

When asked whether England threw away the series or India deserved the draw, Vaughan said that India deserved the draw through consistent performance, but England lost their chance on the final morning of the last Test.

“India deserved the draw over the course of five games, but England threw it away on that last morning," Vaughan said.

Watch the video below:

🤔 Who had the better series?
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rate Jofra Archer's return
🇮🇳 Did India deserve the draw?

Bumble and Michael Vaughan's England v India verdicts are in ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/PejBwStCoq

— Stick to Cricket (@StickToCricket) August 7, 2025

Michael Vaughan Names Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj as Best Batter and Bowler

Michael Vaughan picked India’s Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj as the best batter and bowler of the India-England Test series. Notably, Gill and Siraj were the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker, respectively.

Gill scored 754 runs at an average above 75, including a double century and three centuries. Siraj took 23 wickets at an average of 32.43, with two five-wicket hauls.

Vaughan also praised Jofra Archer’s impressive return to Test cricket, rating it “nine out of 10,” and described Chris Woakes’ effort to bat with one hand in the final Test as “heroic.”

David Lloyd Picks Best Team, Top Batter, and Leading Bowler from Series

Former England cricketer David Lloyd was also asked similar questions. Lloyd stated that India was the stronger team during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He picked Shubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj as the best batter and bowler of the series.

However, Lloyd rated Jofra Archer’s comeback to Test cricket higher, giving it a perfect score of 10. He stated that England had opportunities to perform better, but India was the dominant side and deserved the series draw.

Lloyd also noted that the presence of Ben Stokes might have changed the balance in England’s favor for the final Test. Notably, this series marked the second consecutive time the two teams drew a Test series in England.

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