New Delhi [India], August 7 : Former England spinner Monty Panesar expects the oldest cricket rivalry, the Ashes, to live up to the hype of the recently concluded inaugural edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
India and England played their hearts out across the five Tests and settled for a hard-earned 2-2 series draw. India's tour of England, a series filled with emotions, drama and thrill, possibly had everything that a spectator could ask for.
Several fans and former cricketers have classified the series as better than the Ashes 2005. With the latest edition of the fierce rivalry between England and Australia set to unfold on November 21, Panesar feels the battle between the top arch-rivals will live up to the expectations.
"Well, the Ashes is the next big thing. Will it live up to the hype of the expectations? I think it will. I think it is going to be an amazing series," Panesar told ANI.
In a contest where emotions ran thin and temperaments flared, England thrived on moments against an Indian team that has taken the first steps into the transition phase. Panesar cautioned the Three Lions to avoid being careless against a lethal Australian bowling attack, which is going to be a colossal challenge in itself.
"It really depends on how they counteract the Australian bowlers. I think they are going to be a huge challenge, a very strong bowling attack. But England cannot be careless. We saw careless batting from Jacob Bethell at The Oval. You need to get a 450 or 400-plus score in Australia. England would have to bat big," Panesar concluded.
Former India frontline spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was among those who put a tag on the "imperfect" Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy as a better series than the classic Ashes in 2005.
"A lot of people are comparing this series with the 2005 Ashes, but I think this series was slightly better than even the 2005 Ashes - because there was so much more imperfection, from both sides," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The 2005 Ashes series saw England bounce back after two successive Ashes losses at home and away under Nasser Hussain and bring back the prestigious urn home for the first time since 1986-87 with a 2-1 victory.