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During a captivating ‘player for player’ segment on the ‘For The Love Of Cricket’ podcast, former England captain Jos Buttler challenged his former teammate, legendary pacer Stuart Broad, to pick a combined England-India playing XI from the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025. Broad, admitting the questions were ‘properly on the spot,’ made a series of fascinating choices that shed light on his perspectives of the series’ star performers.
Stuart Broad picks England-India combined XI for Anderson-Tendulkar trophy
1. The opening and middle order dilemma with no place for Shubman Gill
- Yashasvi Jaiswal vs Zak Crawley: Broad’s first decision was between Yashasvi Jaiswal and Zak Crawley. He chose Jaiswal without hesitation, calling him a ‘beautiful player’ and highlighting his two centuries, including one in the last Test, as a clear differentiator.
- KL Rahul vs Ben Duckett: Broad faced a tougher choice here, describing it as a “horrible decision.” While he praised Duckett for his ‘superb’ starts, he ultimately chose KL Rahul, citing how Rahul “led the young Indian batting group” and his impressive, “old school opening batting” technique, which he found “really, really impressive.”
- Ollie Pope vs Sai Sudharsan: In the number three spot, Broad opted for Ollie Pope over Sai Sudharsan. He noted that while Sai had some ‘lovely starts’ and will ‘grow,’ Pope’s century at Headingley and strong start to the series gave him the edge. He also made a plea to the Indian team to “give that bloke 15-20 tests to settle at number three and he will repay you.”
- Joe Root vs Shubman Gill: Broad audibly groaned at this ‘impossible question,’ but ultimately chose his long-time teammate, Joe Root. He jested that he didn’t want the ‘abuse’ from Root, who had just scored his 39th Test century. Broad acknowledged Shubman Gill’s remarkable achievement as a captain but felt that Root’s three centuries and his record-breaking form made him the undeniable choice.
2. The all-rounders and wicketkeeper showdown
- Ben Stokes vs Ravindra Jadeja: In a highly anticipated contest, Broad chose Ben Stokes over Ravindra Jadeja. He admitted this was not a simple choice, praising Jadeja’s “incredible” batting, which he called the “best I’ve ever seen him play.” However, he pointed out that Jadeja “struggled with the ball” and that the all-rounder spot required contributions in both departments, which Stokes consistently delivered.
- Washington Sundar vs Shoaib Bashir: Broad picked Washington Sundar over Shoaib Bashir. He revealed he was ‘highly impressed with him as a cricketer’ and believed he was a ‘test match number six waiting to happen,’ Broad credited Sundar with having a greater ‘influence on the series,’ particularly for his great spell of 4 for 22 at Lord’s.
- Rishabh Pant vs Steve Smith: This was an easy choice for Broad, who picked Rishabh Pant over Jamie Smith. He praised Smith’s knock at Edgbaston but was effusive in his praise for Pant, calling him a “wonderful” entertainer whom he would “want to be sat in a seat and watching him” every time he bats.
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3. The pace attack selection
- Jofra Archer vs Akash Deep: Broad chose the returning Jofra Archer, who he said was superb. He admitted that Akash Deep was ‘superb’ at Edgbaston, but he felt he “relies on the new ball a little bit too much.” Broad’s decision was swayed by seeing Archer’s return, especially his third ball wicket that “knocked Pant’s off stump out of the ground at Lords.”
- Mohammed Siraj vs Josh Tongue: Broad chose Mohammed Siraj over Josh Tongue. He called Siraj an “absolute warrior” who “played five tests, kept coming back” and was “skillful” with the ball. He also noted that Siraj’s iconic match-winning yorker at The Oval was a fitting end to his brilliant series.
- Jasprit Bumrah vs Ben Woakes: Broad picked Jasprit Bumrah over Chris Woakes. He acknowledged that both had “quiet series,” but he said he had to go with Bumrah for what he ‘offers’ Broad recalled Bumrah’s brilliant ball to Crawley in the first over of the series, highlighting that he is a “constant threat.” He also noted the irony that India won the two Tests that Bumrah missed.
