It’s a shame that the Tests are so squeezed together: Jack Russell on Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025

The scheduling of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has come under scrutiny, with England captain Ben Stokes and Indian skipper Shubman Gill calling for adequate gaps between matches.

Former England wicketkeeper Jack Russell backed the two captains as well, accepting there should have been sufficient recovery time for the players ahead of the series-deciding fixture.

“It’s a shame that the Test matches are so squeezed and close together. The administrators should hang their heads in shame, really, because both teams are now being decimated by lack of recovery time and injuries,” Russell told Sportstar on Thursday.

Over the long series, both teams have struggled in managing player injuries and workloads, and on the eve of the final Test, Stokes did not hesitate in admitting that it takes a ‘big toll’ on each and every player.

With a quick turnaround time, Stokes missed out on the fifth Test due to a shoulder injury, while England made a slew of changes, with Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse missing out. For India, Jasprit Bumrah missed out due to workload management.

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“Stokes is not playing, and that’s why the England bowling attack has to change. Bumrah’s not playing… I don’t know why these administrators hide away. If we could have put these guys on another week’s rest, it could have been great… It’s been such a great series, so entertaining and it has been as proper Test cricket should be played. I’m fairly disappointed that both teams can’t play their best teams because of the scheduling,” Russell said, adding: “So, I’m very annoyed about that…”

England’s wicketkeeper Jack Russell in action during the third Test cricket match between England and Pakistan in Manchester, played from July 2 to 7, 1992. | Photo Credit: MUEEN UD DIN HAMEED/The Hindu

The 61-year-old Russell, who featured in 54 Tests for England between 1988 and 1998, believes that Rishabh Pant’s absence will hurt India’s batting in the series decider. “He’s entertaining. He’ll be a big miss in the batting lineup, but the other lad that keeps wickets (Dhruv Jurel) looks like a good keeper. So, the team will benefit from that. That’s important,” he said.

After retiring from the game, Russell is now a professional painter and runs an art gallery. While he dedicates most of his time to art now, Russell still has a soft corner for cricket, and he is impressed with the way Pant batted in red-ball cricket over the last few years.

“As a keeper, Pant will make mistakes because of the way he keeps. Maybe they accept that. But the fact that he can be so devastating with the bat makes him one of the most entertaining players in the world to watch,” Russell added.

Pant batted in the first innings of the fourth Test in Manchester with a broken foot and has now been advised six week’s rest by the medical team.

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