James Anderson opens up on sharing trophy name with Sachin Tendulkar for IND vs ENG series; ‘I don’t feel it is me…’

Having his or her name associated with Sachin Tendulkar is in itself a massive achievement for any cricketer in the world. For James Anderson, the former England pacer felt ‘completely out of place’ when he saw his name alongside the cricketing legend after the Pataudi Trophy was renamed as the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. 

Previously, the India vs England Test series were played as the Pataudi Trophy, named after former Indian captains Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided to rechristen it as Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which is a tribute to the living legends.   

Speaking in detail for the first time, Anderson expressed his feelings when he first heard about the Test series to be named after him. “I feel completely out of place when I see myself alongside him with the trophy. As I said, I hold him in such high regard,” Anderson, who retired from international cricket in 2024 told Sky Sports. 

Both Anderson and Tendulkar have been stalwarts in their own capacities. While Tendulkar played 24 years for his close to 30000 international runs and 100 centuries, Anderson bid adieu to the game at the top level with 704 wickets in a 20-year career. 

Despite that, Anderson still felt difficult to match with Tendulkar. “It is strange that when people talk about what I have achieved in cricket, like when I hear about it, as if someone’s talking about someone else, if that makes sense,” Anderson explained. 

“Like I don’t feel it is me who has achieved all this. It sounds really strange, but that is how my head works. I just can’t quite believe the things that come with playing such a long time,” added Anderson. 

What’s next in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy?

With three matches already done and dusted, both India and England are preparing for the fourth Test match that starts on July 23 in Manchester. The series started with England winning the first game in Leeds before Shubman Gill’s side bounced back with  336-run victory in Birmingham. India could have taken a 2-1 lead had they not suffered a batting collapse in the final innings of the third Test match at Lord’s.