Andrew Strauss – 6: Scored double the runs he managed in the whole series with Sri Lanka but will be disappointed to have got out to poor shots after getting starts in each innings. Declarations were reasonably attacking even if some of his field placings weren’t but marshalled his troops well.
Alastair Cook – 3: So Cook is human after all. Failures in both innings to bring his remarkable run to a shuddering end. Will hope to bounce back at Trent Bridge.
Jonathan Trott – 6: Looked his usual assured self and a hundred appeared his for the taking before he was surprised by Praveen. Another to get a beauty from Ishant in the morning session on Sunday.
Kevin Pietersen – 9: Wonderful double hundred, which was so workmanlike for its first 150 runs that it could have been carved by Trott or Cook. The final flourish was vintage KP though as he became only the third English batsman – after Hammond and Hutton – to hit three Test double hundreds.
Ian Bell – 6: Looked a million dollars in scoring 45 in the first innings before getting an absolute beauty from Ishant second time around. Stunning catch to remove Laxman on the final morning.
Eoin Morgan – 4: Followed up a first innings duck with a poor shot in the second innings after he and Prior had begun to repair the wreckage caused by Ishant’s inspirational spell. Welcome to Test cricket, Eoin.
Matt Prior – 9: Won his first battle with Dhoni to see who is the best Test keeper-batsman hands down. Looked assured behind the stumps and his batting was sensational – adding much needed momentum in the 1st innings and reviving England second time around. Should probably have been Man of the Match.
Stuart Broad – 9: Bounced back after a wretched summer and first ball duck to more than justify his selection ahead of Bresnan. Bowled fuller and reaped the rewards with seven wickets – let’s hope the Enforcer nonsense can now be put to bed. Looked classy with the bat too in scoring 74 not out in his vital union with Prior.
Graeme Swann – 6: The Lord’s pitch didn’t provide him with much assistance, but Swann bowled tidily and did his job of supporting the seamers with aplomb.
Chris Tremlett – 7: Hostile throughout with his pace and bounce visibly unsettling the Indian batsmen. His duel with Tendulkar either side of lunch on Saturday was Test cricket at its most thrilling.
James Anderson – 8: Disappointing first time around in conditions tailor made for him, but magnificent on the final day with five wickets to confirm his position as one of the top three fast bowlers currently playing Test cricket.
Where next?
1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10
The rehabilitation of Stuart Broad
Kevin Pietersen, Wally Hammond, Len Hutton and Test double hundreds
Zaheer Khan: He came, he saw, he conquered....he got injured
Don't miss a thing - Subscribe to and read about all of the Top 20 Cricket Blogs here
Read all our County Cricket coverage
Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes
If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep
Definitely the better bowling attack. Batting was hardly tested except a couple of sessions on day 1 and day 4. Prior's knock was indeed valuable.
Posted by: Sid | Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 06:31
England clearly outplayed India. Indian team is really missing some one of the class of Sehwag.
Posted by: Deepika Padukone Photos | Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 06:52