When Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired from Test cricket, many wondered if a younger Indian team could still attract massive audiences for the longest format. Those doubts were emphatically silenced as the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy 2025 between India and England not only pulled in huge crowds but also became the most‑watched Test series ever on any digital platform. The crowning moment came on Day 5 of the fifth Test at The Oval, with India chasing four wickets to win and square the series 2‑2. At that point, 1.3 crore concurrent viewers tuned in to JioHotstar, setting a new record for the highest‑ever peak audience for a Test match online.
Record-Breaking Numbers for Test Cricket
The excitement stretched across the entire five‑match series, which produced some staggering statistics:
65 billion minutes of live streaming over the series.
170 million+ unique viewers accessed the series digitally — the highest reach ever for Test cricket online.
Every single match lasted till Day 5, keeping viewers hooked from start to finish.
The data confirms that, far from fading, Test cricket still has the power to hold audiences spellbound worldwide.
“The extraordinary response to India’s tour of England reinforced Test cricket’s ability to forge compelling narratives in almost every session of every match. Reaching over 170 million viewers and setting new concurrency records is a testament not just to the thrilling cricket, but also to our commitment to delivering an immersive storytelling and viewing experience,” said Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content at JioStar.
The Dramatic Finale: Siraj Delivers Without Bumrah
The fifth Test at The Oval had everything; tension, strategy, and a nail‑biting finish. With pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah rested for workload management, Mohammed Siraj took centre stage. Captain Shubman Gill, trusting Siraj’s reverse swing, chose not to take the second new ball. The move paid off , Siraj struck early, inducing a faint outside edge from Jamie Smith, and later sealed India’s victory with a pinpoint yorker to dismiss Gus Atkinson.
India won by six runs, levelling the series 2‑2 in England : a huge boost for a side in transition after the retirement of two modern Test giants.