Irfan Pathan: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has picked captain Shubman Gill as the standout performer for the visitors in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The five-match series ended in a 2-2 draw on Monday, August 4, with India sealing a thrilling six-run victory in the final game at the Kennington Oval in London.
Irfan Pathan: Gill enjoyed a sensational series, scoring 754 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 75.40, including four centuries. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, @officialIrfanPathan, on Wednesday, August 6, Pathan rated the Indian skipper’s performance 9.5 out of 10. He also praised Gill for silencing his critics and commended the significant improvement in his game. Pathan said:
“9.5 out of 10 points for Captain Shubman Gill. Look, when this series began, there were a lot of questions about his performance. His average of 35 was repeatedly pointed out. But by the time the series ended, he had pushed his average above 40. He scored over 700 runs and broke record after record. We saw four centuries from him and a clear improvement in his batting.”
“The way he improved his defense and managed the flow of the game was commendable. And then there’s captaincy as well. He will definitely get better at that, there’s no doubt about it. There’s still room for improvement, of course, but the way he handled both batting and captaincy together was praiseworthy,” he added.
Irfan Pathan: The 40-year-old also lauded Gill’s leadership on the final day of the Oval Test, highlighting his smart decision to persist with the old ball instead of taking the new one. Pathan said:
“On the final day, I really liked his captaincy. That plan of not bowling too much on the stumps and consistently targeting outside off-stump was impressive. The swing was happening very nicely. That bluff with the yorker against Zak Crawley, with the fielder placed outside, was impressive. The coordination between the bowler and the captain was commendable. We also saw the decision to continue with the old ball instead of taking the new one. So overall, 9.5 points out of 10 for Shubman Gill.”
Irfan Pathan: The 25-year-old has now played 37 Tests, amassing 2,647 runs at an average of 41.35, including seven half-centuries and nine centuries.
Irfan Pathan: “He became everyone’s favorite after this series” – Irfan Pathan praises India pacer’s standout performance
Irfan Pathan: In the aforementioned video, Irfan Pathan also praised Mohammed Siraj for his impressive performance, rating him on par with Shubman Gill at 9.5 out of 10. He lauded the pacer for consistently delivering with the same intensity across different phases of the game, always giving his all for the team. Pathan said:
“Mohammed Siraj, 9.5 out of 10 points. Siraj definitely played different roles. He bowled with the new ball and also as first change. But the strength he showed, the courage he displayed, the fitness he demonstrated, I think it’s commendable. He became everyone’s favorite after this series. Even English fans praised him. When the opposition team appreciates you and talks about your character, it means there’s something special about you.”
“What’s special? Giving everything for the team, that’s special. You bowl even when you’re down on one knee. On the 25th day of a Test series, you bowl at a speed of 145 km/h. That means you know this is the moment where you have to give it your all. It doesn’t matter if you get injured. It doesn’t matter how many balls you’ve bowled. Whenever Siraj comes on to bowl, he completely executes the captain’s plan. He keeps bowling outside off-stump, outswing, outswing, outswing. He doesn’t go much towards the scrambled seam either. He sticks to the plan,” he added.
Pathan continued:
“It was a joy to watch him bowl. Made the heart happy. Like I said before, an iron body with the heart of a lion, that’s how Mohammed Siraj has performed. So, he fully deserves 9.5 points. It could even be 10 out of 10. But I’d like to see him keep improving, keep putting in the effort, and keep doing his job. Just keep making us proud. DSP sir, I was truly delighted watching your bowling.”
The 31-year-old emerged as the highest wicket-taker of the series, claiming 23 scalps in nine innings at an average of 32.43 and a strike rate of 48.39, with his best figures being 6/70.
