The recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between India and England kept fans hooked through all five Tests.
The series had plenty of drama. The final scoreline stood at 2-2, which many felt was a fair reflection of how closely the two teams competed.
England had taken a 2-1 lead after the third Test at Lord's, but India bounced back strongly by saving the Manchester Test, before dramatically beating the hosts at the Oval.
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But despite the entertainment, questions are now being raised about whether the series truly matched the reputation it carried.
Why did Sanjay Manjrekar criticise the quality of cricket?
In his column for Hindustan Times, Sanjay Manjrekar praised the young Indian side for their grit and old-school batting approach.
He appreciated the way Indian batsmen like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul others showed patience and discipline in testing English conditions.
However, Manjrekar was not fully impressed with the overall quality of the cricket. He pointed out that the bowling standards from both sides were among the weakest he had seen in a marquee Test series.
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According to him, the contest was thrilling as a spectacle, but not necessarily the “highest quality” in terms of skill.
"Great series for fans, yes great result for Indian cricket lovers yes, great advertisement for Test cricket yes, but what about quality? Was the cricket of the highest quality? No, it wasn’t. For starters, sorry to burst the bubble, it has to be one of the weakest bowling attacks from both sides that I have seen in a series featuring two mainstream teams," said Manjrekar.
How did the series unfold between India and England?
England drew first blood with a tight win at Headingley before India stormed back at Edgbaston with a crushing victory. Lord’s saw another classic, where the hosts edged past India by just 22 runs.
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The Old Trafford Test ended in a draw, leaving the final clash at The Oval as the decider. In a tense finish, India pulled off a narrow six-run win to level the series 2-2.
While many called the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy a modern-day classic, Manjrekar didn’t agree with that label.
The trophy proved that fans still have a huge appetite for the long format, with packed stadiums across England cheering every twist and turn.