The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ended in a 2-2 draw, with all five matches going to the final day.
In the series opener at Headingley, the hosts chased down 371 to win the game by five wickets while the visitors bounced back in the second Test at Edgbaston to emerge victorious by 336 runs.
At Lord’s, India fell 22 runs short while chasing 193 – a result that defied modern Test cricket trends. From 0/2 to 425/4 in the second innings, the tourists turned what looked a certain defeat into a stirring draw in the penultimate Test at Old Trafford.
The Manchester outcome enforced a series-decider at the Oval, where India emerged victorious by a narrow margin of six runs to level the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2.
Following the dramatic end to the Oval Test, many fans and experts labelled the series as ‘best’ in recent memory.
Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, former England skipper Nasser Hussain asked Michael Atherton if it was the best series since the 2005 Ashes or even better.
To which, Atherton remarked that the quality was not as good as 2005 Ashes but it came close to the iconic series from 20 years ago.
“I don't think the quality was as good as '05. I don't think I've seen a better series than the '05 Ashes. It was a great team on the decline and the emerging team, absolutely great players at the top of their game. But it was probably the best series since '05,” Atherton said in reply.
“The 2023 Ashes was a fantastic Ashes, but I'll put this series as the best series since '05 because of those dramatic moments, like Woakes, and like Rishabh Pant. And the twists and turns of the series,” he added.
Atherton and Nasser saw the India-England series from close quarters as they were both part of the broadcasting team.