India Vs England Tests: James Anderson Feels 'Completely Out Of Place' To Have Name Alongside Sachin Tendulkar

The renaming of the iconic Pataudi Trophy to the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy had not gone down well with some former Indian cricketers, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Now, England swing-bowling titan James Anderson himself has admitted that seeing his name next to Sachin Tendulkar on a trophy feels "completely out of place," calling it an incredible honour to be associated with "one of the greatest cricketers to have ever lived".

"It's not necessarily just how huge it is to have a trophy named after you, but alongside Sachin Tendulkar, who for me is one of the greatest ever cricketers to have lived. I feel completely out of place when I see myself alongside him with the trophy. I hold him in such high regard," Anderson said to Sky Sports.

"I watched him as a kid, played against him. He's just such an iconic cricketer who's carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders throughout his career and past it as well. So, to share something like this with him is an incredible honour," he added.

Both Anderson and Tendulkar are widely considered all-time greats. They are the two most-capped players in the history of Test cricket. Tendulkar played 200 matches, and Anderson appeared in 188 Tests.

Anderson, who picked up a staggering 704 wickets in his 188 appearances, bowled to Tendulkar on several occasions during the late 2000s. The 42-year-old also reflected on how detached he sometimes feels from the legacy he's created.

"It is strange when people talk about what I have achieved in cricket. When I hear about it as if someone’s talking about someone else, if that makes sense, like I don’t feel it is me who has achieved all this," he said.

Anderson retired in 2024, bringing the curtains down on his illustrious career to make way for England’s next generation of fast bowlers.

England currently lead the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-1 with the fourth Test, part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, scheduled to begin on Wednesday (July 23) at Manchester.

Earlier, the India vs England Test matches on English soil were played for the Pataudi Trophy, named after former India captains Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and his son Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.

(With PTI inputs)