Named Test Series Trophies in Cricket: The Ashes, Border-Gavaskar, Freedom Trophy, Wisden, and All Major Bilateral Test Awards
Several major bilateral Test series are contested for named trophies. The Ashes (England vs Australia) is the most famous — the tiny urn containing burned stumps, played for since 1882. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India vs Australia, since 1996 — named for Allan Border and Sunil Gavaskar) has become cricket's most contested bilateral series. The Freedom Trophy (India vs South Africa) was introduced in 2015. Understanding these trophies gives context to which series are most historically significant.
Several major bilateral cricket series are contested for named trophies that carry significant historical weight. These trophies transform a series from a set of matches into a contest with cultural meaning — the most famous being the Ashes, which has carried a mythology beyond cricket itself for over 140 years.
The Ashes
The Ashes originated in 1882 when Australia beat England at The Oval — England's first home loss to Australia. The Sporting Times published a mock obituary: 'In affectionate remembrance of English Cricket which died at The Oval on 29th August 1882... The body will be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.' An English touring party then traveled to Australia; a Melbourne socialite (Ivo Bligh) was presented with a small urn containing burned cricket stumps by Australian women. That urn — roughly 15cm tall — is held permanently at Lord's (the MCC Museum) and is never moved to the series venue. The trophy that travels to each series is a crystal replica. The Ashes series is played every 2 years (alternating England and Australia as hosts).
Other Named Trophies
- Border-Gavaskar Trophy (India vs Australia): since 1996, named for Allan Border (Australia) and Sunil Gavaskar (India). India have won 7 of the 11 series as of 2024.
- Frank Worrell Trophy (Australia vs West Indies): since 1960-61, named for West Indies' first Black captain. Won by Australia since WI decline.
- Freedom Trophy (India vs South Africa): since 2015. Named to reflect both nations' freedom struggles.
- Wisden Trophy (England vs West Indies): since 1963. Named for Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.
- Basil D'Oliveira Trophy (England vs South Africa): named for the mixed-race South African cricketer whose selection by England caused South Africa's expulsion from cricket in 1968.
- Anthony De Mello Trophy (India vs Pakistan): rarely played due to political tensions.
Frequently asked questions
Why has the Border-Gavaskar Trophy grown to rival the Ashes as the world's most important bilateral series?
Border-Gavaskar Trophy: why it rivals and may surpass the Ashes in global importance. The BGT (India vs Australia) has become arguably the most watched, most contested, and most consequential bilateral Test series in cricket — and possibly in all of sport. Why it matters: (1) The two biggest cricket economies: India generates 85% of cricket's global revenue. Australia generates the second most. When they play each other, the broadcast rights across both markets (1.4 billion Indians + 26 million Australians with high cricket engagement) create the largest cricket audience in history for any non-World Cup event. The 2024–25 BGT (Australia) had the highest Test cricket TV ratings in Australia since the 1980s. (2) Sustained competitiveness: India has won 7 of 11 BGT series (as of 2024), including two series wins in Australia (2018–19 and 2020–21). Unlike the Ashes (which Australia has dominated for most periods since 2001), the BGT is genuinely competitive — no team has dominated for a long stretch. (3) The 2020–21 series: India's Gabba win to draw the series 2-2 (with a depleted squad) is widely considered the greatest Test series of the 21st century — it had narrative arcs of comeback, injury, young debutants, and a fortress broken. (4) ICC WTC implications: the WTC (World Test Championship) has made the BGT the single most important Test series in the WTC cycle — the team that wins the series typically qualifies for the WTC final. The 2023–25 WTC cycle gave special importance to the 2024–25 Australia series (5 Tests), with both sides needing wins for WTC final qualification. Why the Ashes still carries more mythology: the Ashes has 140 years of cultural accumulation, a physical trophy (the urn) with remarkable historical resonance, and the rivalry between England and Australia in cricket predates modern cricket governance. When an English cricketer says 'I want to win the Ashes', they reference every Ashes player since 1882. The BGT is 30 years old. But in purely 21st-century terms — commercial value, competitiveness, narrative quality — the BGT has pulled level.