The Reverse Sweep

India have found some bowlers

As India stumbled from heavy defeat to even heavier defeat during a traumatic summer in England one thing seemed very clear: the bowling cupboard was emptier than the contents of Wayne Rooney's head.

With Zaheer Khan injured, Harbhajan way past his best and Ishant Sharma even more inconsistent than usual, it was left to the wholehearted but lacking in pace Praveen Kumar to lead the attack. 

But after three Tests against an improving but brittle West Indies despair has turned into optimism as suddenly the cupboard is filling up faster than the supermarket shelves at Waitrose ahead of Christmas.

Harbhajan has finally been put out to pasture and Ravichandran Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha collected 42 wickets at 23 between them in the three Tests against the boys from the Caribbean.

They've also discovered that rariry of rarities in a country of over a billion souls - not one but two promising fast bowlers. The emergence of Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron means that the likes of Sreesanth and Munaf Patel will be able to concentrate on the IPL and that RP Singh can return to the beach from whence he was summoned during the English expedition.

With Praveen returning from a well-earned rest, Zaheer (hopefully) from injury and Ishant fired up by the prospect of finishing Ricky Ponting's Test career, India suddenly look a different proposition.

The series against a transitional Australia under its new regime looks a thrilling prospect.

Where next?

Mumbai's thrilling final ball draw shows the true value of Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar's 99.94

Virat Kohli - The (Little) Master's Apprentice

Who are cricket's likely future greats?

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Mumbai's thrilling final ball draw shows the true value of Test cricket

Just as in Adelaide in 2006, the first four days of the 3rd Test between India and West Indies had been pretty soporific.

Other than the pleasure of seeing Darren Bravo once again confirming his immense promise, the drama within a drama that was Sachin Tendulkar's 99.94 and the all-round display of Ravichandran Ashwin, the Wankhede Test had not been a good advert for the longest form of the game.

But the inherent brilliance of Test cricket is that in the space of a few minutes it can transform from execrable to exhilirating and   and that is exactly what happened on day five in Mumbai.

Through a mixture of poor shot selection, lack of belief and general naivety as well as some good bowling by Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha, the West Indies disintegrated in their 2nd innings for the second time in this series when they had led on 1st innings.

Strangely enough a batting collapse of their own was the only conceivable way that West Indies could win this Test, and they nearly did despite India ranging from odds-on to slight favourites throughout their chase of 243 in what turned out to be 64 overs.

Every time India looked home and dry they lost a wicket, so that with two balls of the match left all four results were possible. Eventually the game ended with the scores level and India nine wickets down - only the second time in Test history there had been a draw with the sides level.

So just as at Adelaide in 2006 or Cardiff earlier this year, a game that had looked to be meandering to a turgid draw exploded to life into a thrilling last day contest.

Test cricket really is the purest, most challenging, thrilling and ultimate form of the game. Forget Twenty 20 and 50 0ver cricket, it's Test cricket for us every time.

Where next?

Sachin Tendulkar's 99.94

Virat Kohli - The (Little) Master's Apprentice

Do you want to help save Test cricket? @TestingTimesXI

Who are cricket's likely future greats?

Cricket heroes: Darren Sammy

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

The Reverse Sweep's County Cricket 2011 Awards

 
The last post of our 2011 County Cricket Review sees the prizes (and wooden spoons) handed out:

Best Team

Surrey won promotion to Division 1 and lifted the CB40, whilst Worcestershire defied the odds and the loss of their first six games to stay up - ditching the yo-yo tag into the process, but Lancashire have to take this for finally breaking their 77 year duck. They may have not had the strongest side on paper, but they did where it counted - on the pitch.

See also: 10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

Worst Team

Leicestershire may have finished bottom of Division 2 by some distance, but they did give Paul Nixon a fitting send-off by lifting the FLt20, so this award has to go to Yorkshire, who in the words of their own chairman were 'a bloody disgrace'.

See also: Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

Best Player

With due deference to Glen Chapple and Marcus Trescothick, this award has to go to the unheralded Will Gidman for becoming the first English qualified player since David Capel in 1989 to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 50 wickets. So why didn't he receive a call-up to any of England's winter performance squads? No, we don't know either.  

Best Batsman

Marcus Trescothick, who scored nearly 300 Championship runs more than any other batsman despite missing his side's last three matches. Tres ought to almost receive a handicap such is his total dominance of county bowlers.

See also County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Marcus Trescothick

Best Bowler

93 Championship wickets is impossible to argue with even with the supposed advantage of having a Tiflex cricket ball in your hand, so David Masters pips Alan Richardson (Worcestershire's saviour), Chapple, Kyle Hogg and Tim Murtagh for this honour.

Best Spinner

Gary Keedy may not have received as many plaudits as old Long John Silver himself, Glen Chapple, but his contribution of 61 wickets at under 24 was just as crucial to Lancashire's title success, and enables him to pip Monty Panesar and team-mate Simon Kerrigan for this prize.

Best Cameo

Shivnarine Chanderpaul looked to have this one sown up until Warwickshire failed to secure victory at the Rose Bowl on the final day, so Pragyan Ojha steals this prize for a stunning four match cameo with Surrey. Four wins, 24 wickets at 13 and promotion back to Division 2. And the Indian selectors picked Amit Mishra above him?

Worst Player

South African bowlers didn't exactly cover themselves in glory with Friedel de Wet and Wayne Parnell struggling for Hampshire and Sussex respectively, but Lonwabo Tsotsobe took the biscuit here. Five wickets in three first-clas matches at 77 and a broadside via Twitter prompted Essex coach Paul Grayson to describe him as 'downright rude'. Thanks to @ianashworth for reminding us about this one.

Best Temporary Home

Unquestionably Aigburth. How many times have Lancashire been foiled by the Manchester weather and Old Trafford pitch? A temporary move along the M62 to the sunshine coast of Liverpool and voila, a first title for 77 years. Liverpool 1 Manchester 0.

Let them catch the next bouquet

Surely it's time perenniel bridesmaids Somerset got hitched? Runners-up finishes in the FLt20 and CB40 meant it five second places out of the last six domestic prizes to be awarded leads one to speculate that Somerset would probably finish second in a one horse race.

The Devon Loch honorary Award

At one time it looked like this would go to one of the four title chasing protagonists in Division 1, but by the end of the season there was only one candidate for this award. Northamptonshire looked absolute certainties for promotion to Division 1, but only managed to win one of their last seven matches. They fared no better in the CB40 where despite winning their first five matches, they failed to reach the semi-finals. Did Andrew Hall's South African background obviously had an unexpected choking effect on his charges?

Best Youngster

Mentions to Chris Woakes, Ben Stokes and Alex Hales, but this one has to go to Jonathan Bairstow. He stood tall in the manure that was Yorkshire's season and his blistering one day debut innings was the delicious cherry on the top.

Best Resurrection

Only one possible winner here - Michael Carberry, whose return from a debilitating illness was the most uplifting story of the summer.

See County Cricket 2011 Heroes: Michael Carberry

Biggest Moan

The demise of the Tiflex was disappointing, but the ridiculous fixture schedule has to take the wooden spoon here. For example, Leicestershire finished a championship match on the Thursday, won the FLt20 on the Saturday, played the Indian tourists on the Monday and then started another Championship game against Middlesex on the Tuesday. It is hardly surprising that Middlesex ended the first day on 370 for 1.

Biggest Anti-Climax

Sachin Tendulkar's hundredth international hundred anyone?

Where next?

A Year To Forget: County Championship Flops XI of the season

County Cricket 2011 Heroes: The Tiflex cricket ball

County Championship Division 1 XI of the season

County Championship Division 2 XI of the season

Read all of our County Cricket coverage

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship Division 2 XI of the season

 
Rory Hamilton-Brown (Surrey, Captain) – 1039 runs at 37.10: We’ll probably get it in the neck for this pick, but in our view the boy king (and one of our ten to watch in 2011) had a tremendous season. He took on the challenge and added responsibility of opening the batting with gusto and led his charges back into the top division. Chris Adams reckons his young skipper will captain England one day – we’re not sure about that, but he pips Stephen Peters, Alviro Petersen and the resurgent Joe Denly to an opening berth in this XI.

Sam Robson (Middlesex) – 885 runs at 59.00: His season’s entry was delayed by the presence of Andrew Strauss, but the 22 year old more than made up for the wait with a string of impressive performances to lay a solid foundation for his side’s climb back into the top flight.

Chris Rogers (Middlesex) – 1286 runs at 58.45: His runs propelled Middlesex’s title success and once again left this observer scratching his head as to how the Australian selectors only gave the Victorian just the one solitary Test cap.

Zander de Bruyn (Surrey) – 1383 runs at 55.32; 15 wickets at 39.26: Proved a canny acquisition with four hundreds and nine fifties to be the leading run scorer in the division. Having taking a risk in dropping a division when moving from Taunton, he is now back where he belongs. If that wasn’t enough, he chipped in with some useful wickets too.

Tom Maynard (Surrey) - 1022 runs at 40.88 There’s certainly a Surrey flavour to our batting line-up, with Maynard immediately fulfilling his promise at The Oval following his acrimonious departure from Glamorgan. Of his three Championship hundreds, none would have given him more pleasure than his maiden first-class ton, which came at of all places – Cardiff. Beats Chris Taylor, Will Durston and James Taylor (who despite being the best number four in county cricket was generally a bit below par in the Championship) to the final batting slot.

James Foster (Essex) – 931 runs at 46.55: Stephen Davies and Mark Wallace may have scored more runs, whilst John Simpson also impressed, but Foster’s superiority with the gloves and a decent tally of runs gets our vote.

Will Gidman (Gloucestershire) – 51 wickets at 21.33; 1006 runs at 45.72: Topped the Gloucestershire averages with both bat and ball and was the only player in either division to complete the double of 1,000 runs and 50 wickets. Gareth Berg, Darren Stevens and Andrew Hall also impressed, but it was Gidman who was head and shoulders above the pack.

Stuart Meaker (Surrey) – 44 wickets at 22.56: With the other seamers we’ve picked, we needed a pace weapon and Meaker was anything but mild. His team-mate Tim Linley may have taken more wickets (73 at 18.34), but Meaker’s came from only 10 matches at a strike rate of 38 and it was his devastating spell at Northampton that gave his side the vital initiative in a must-win game. Born in Durban, so seems to have all the qualifications required to play for England too!

David Masters (Essex) – 93 wickets at 18.13: The highest wicket-taker in the country despite playing in a struggling side and an absolute master of line and length, as well as miserliness. Leicestershire’s batsmen must still be having nightmares about his eight for 10 against them in July – one of eight times he took five wickets or more in an innings.

Tim Murtagh (Middlesex) – 80 wickets at 20.98: The primary weapon in Middlesex’s arsenal had a magnificent season taking a wicket every 36.4 deliveries and clearly enjoyed bowling with the Tiflex ball. Will he be as successful next summer with the Duke ball against Division 1 batsmen? Other seamers considered included the wily old Chaminda Vaas (70 wickets at 21.44) and David Balcombe (33 wickets in five matches for Kent at just 17.81).

Pragyan Ojha (Surrey) – 24 wickets at 12.95: What would have been a close battle between Dean Cosker (49 wickets at 33.67) and James Middlebrook (43 wickets at 30.39 as well as 644 runs at 42.93) became no contest after Ojha’s devastating four match spell for Surrey. Four wins , 24 wickets and one promotion later, one has to ask how Amit Mishra was preferred to Ojha in India’s Test squad this summer.

Where next?

County Championship Division 1 XI of the season

10 reasons why neutrals should be glad Lancashire won the County Championship

Ten to watch in 2011: Half-Term report - Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3

County Championship XI of the week: Division 1 Half-Term XI

County Championship XI of the week: Division 2 Half-Term XI

Read our 2011 County Championship XIs of the week

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

County Championship XI of the week #19

Whilst it was tempting just to list the Lancashire XI from Taunton, we decided to stick to the formula for our last County Championship XI of the season:

Stephen Moore (Lancashire) – Two contrasting fifties as Lancashire ended their barren 77 year quest: a sedate 1st innings 50 from 80 balls helped steady nerves after Somerset had scored 380 and his rapid 55 ball 71 gave early impetus to their 2nd innings run chase.

Liam Dawson (Hampshire) – Held up Warwickshire by carrying his bat in a marathon six hour ten minute epic – perhaps giving Carberry and McKenzie belief they could do the same when Hampshire followed on.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Warwickshire) – A third hundred in four Championship matches looked to have given his side the decisive edge in the title race, but it wasn’t to be this time for the man who was on the field when Durham triumphed in 2008 and 2009.

James Hildreth (Somerset) – Perhaps remembering that it was Lancashire’s loss to Nottinghamshire that deprived Somerset of the title last season, Hildreth finally showed his class after a disappointing season with 185 at Taunton.

Neil McKenzie (Hampshire) – Took his cue from Dawson and with a willing accomplice in Carberry broke Warwickshire hearts with an unbeaten 115 compiled over 344 granite-like minutes. Statues of the South African are probably being erected all over the Red Rose county as we write.

Tom Maynard (Surrey) – A third Championship ton of the season set Surrey up for maximum batting points and the win that ensured promotion to Division 1.

John Simpson (Middlesex) – Makes our XI for the second successive week for taking Middlesex over the line with a composed 27 not out when panic stations were starting to be reached against Leicestershire. Also struck a 1st innings fifty.

Gareth Berg (Middlesex) – Without Berg’s three 1st innings wickets, career best 130 and match-winning partnership with Simpson, Middlesex could have been in purgatory instead of promotion heaven.

David Willey (Northamptonshire) – His side may have been cruelly denied promotion, but Willey’s match figures of ten for 75 gave some small consolation to Northamptonshire’s heartbroken supporters.

Glen Chapple (Lancashire) – Even on one leg there was no way that anyone was getting Chapple off the Taunton pitch. The post-match celebratory champagne will have acted as the ideal anaesthetic to Lancashire’s favourite ever Yorkshireman. OBEs have been handed out for less.

Pragyan Ojha (Surrey) – Bamboozled Derbyshire with match figures of 47.2-16-90-10 to take Surrey up and make his final tally 24 wickets at 13 from his four matches. As Surrey won them all, does that make Ojha the signing of the season?

Where next?

Liam Dawson narrowly fails in quest to become honorary Lancastrian just like Glen Chapple

Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves gets straight to the point

Read all our County Cricket coverage

County Championship XI of the week #18

See if you agree with our other County Championship XIs of the week

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

County Championship XI of the week #17

Andrew Strauss (Middlesex) - A daddy hundred - a career best 241 not out - for the England skipper on his return to county cricket. A case of anything Cook can do ...?

Jimmy Adams (Hampshire) - Compiled a second career double hundred to leave Somerset's title hopes in ruins at Taunton.

James Cameron (Worcestershire) - Defiant 98 was worth at least a hundred runs more in a game where no one else reached 50. Its value to his side was priceless as it could yet preserve their Division 1 status.

Michael Carberry (Hampshire) - The inspirational feegood story of the summer is Carberry's successful return from a life threatening illness. His 182 at Taunton increased his tally to 639 runs from just seven Championship matches.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Warwickshire) - Second Championhip hundred in a week against Yorkshire and an unbeaten fifty to secure the draw for his side in the second innings. 

Gary Ballance (Yorkshire) - First hundred for Yorkshire saved his side's bacon at Edgbaston and provides some hope in what appears to be a forlorn battle to escape the relegation trap door.

Steven Davies (Surrey) - England's forgotten man has run into form at just the right time. His 81 and 156 helped Surrey to a big win over promotion rivals Northamptonshire and guaranteed his place in our XI for the second successive week.

Stuart Meaker (Surrey) - Devastating four wicket burst changed shaped of crunch match with Northamptonshire. Another fast bowler to add to long list of England hopefuls - and as he was born in Durban, Meaker ought to be at the head of the queue!

Pragyan Ojha (Surrey) - Recorded second innings figures of six for eight from 18.1 overs at Wantage Road to leave one bemused that the impotent Mishra was picked ahead of him in India's Test squad this summer.

Alan Richardson (Worcestershire) - Derailed Lancashire's title aspirations with a second innings six for 22 to take his season tally to 62 Championship wickets. Effigies of the 36 year old veteran are probably being burnt all over the Red Rose county.

David Balcombe (Kent) - How did Hampshire let such a fearsome fast bowler go out on loan? Balcombe destroyed Essex with a ten wicket match haul to outshine the country's leading wicket taker David Masters at Canterbury. 

Where next?

Does anyone actually want to win the County Championship?

Cricket XIs: Cricketing Criminals

Read all our County Cricket coverage

See if you agree with our other County Championship XIs of the week

Ten to watch in 2011: Adam Lyth, Jade Dernbach,  Rory Hamilton-Brown, Samit Patel, Alex Hales, Danny Briggs, Ben Stokes, James Harris,Jos Buttler, Adil Rashid

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

 

 

India vs New Zealand: 2nd Test: India marks out of 10

 
Yet again India's lack of punch with the ball prevented them from overcoming New Zealand after Harbhajan's second successive hundred had given his side a 122 run lead. With their main strike bowler Zaheer Khan lame, India were more or less impotent, although credit must be given to Brendon McCullum for his double hundred and the likes of Kane Williamson for the sterling support they offered (see New Zealand marks out of 10 here)

India now go into the final test at Nagpur on Saturday under some pressure to record the victory that will give them the series. Here's how they rated at Hyderabad.

Gautam Gambhir - 6: Will have been relieved to have got his first fifty for six tests but will have been furious with himself for the leg side dismissal that wrecked all his hard work.

Virender Sehwag - 8: Missed a hundred in the first innings after an injudicious slog sweep against Vettori led to nothing but the dreaded death rattle. But two fifties in the match is not exactly a poor return.

Rahul Dravid - 6: Outdone by Southee after a typically dogged knock - it's not often you see The Wall missing a straight one.

Sachin Tendulkar - 4: A very strange innings indeed from the Little Master and a dismissal most unbecoming of him. If his poor series continues at Nagpur, expect Vettori's phone to be ringing from all the other international captains on the circuit.

VVS Laxman - 7: A combination of finally playing a Test on his home ground and some tight New Zealand bowling meant that this was one of Laxman's more circumspect innings. Will have been disappointed not to turn his patient 75 into a hundred in front of his adoring public.

Suresh Raina - 3: A dreadful dismissal suggests Raina has a lot of work to do before he can justifiably call himself a test batsman. Chipped in with a couple of wickets in the second innings.

MS Dhoni - 3: Dismissed after being beaten in the flight by Vettori to continue his recent struggles with the bat. Not his most inspiring performance as captain either.

Harbhajan Singh - 9: At this rate they'll be calling him an all-rounder after his second successive hundred made it 295 runs in the series. Bowled excellently in the first innings but his poor recent form returned in the second. Now has 31 wickets at 44.7 from his last nine Tests and he's needed more than 97 balls for each of those wickets. That's not good enough for a bowler of Harbhajan's ability.

Zaheer Khan - 7: Is out of Nagpur with a dodgy groin and without him India were devoid of ideas. Bowled well in the first innings and now has 41 test wickets at 22.92 this year - that is close to superhuman given all of his efforts have been on subcontinental wickets.

Pragyan Ojha - 5: Three wickets in 74 overs tells you everything you need to know. Now has 28 wickets at 46.96 from eight games in 2010 with a woeful strike rate of 100.3. How India miss Kumble. Maybe it is time for Mishra or Ashwin to be given a chance?

Sreesanth - 6: Batted well to help his old sparring partner Harbhajan to his hundred and gave everything with the ball. Is probably already dreaming of bowling on the more receptive South African pitches in a few weeks.

Where next?

1st Test ratings: New Zealand and India

Sachin Tendulkar's Annus Mirabilis

Heroes: VVS Laxman

India vs New Zealand: 1st Test: India marks out of 10

 
We were wrong. We fully expected this series to be utterly one-sided with India winning every game at a canter. But New Zealand regained the powers to punch above their weight, which had been as absent as Zulqarnain Haider in the recent 4-0 ODI reverse in Bangladesh.

For India, there will be disappointment and even some embarrassment at slipping to 15 for five in their second innings, but also pride in their fightback on the last day through the wonderful partnership between Harbhajan and that master of second innings knocks VVS Laxman.

Gautam Gambhir - 3: Missed a straight one from Ryder in the first innings and then got a duck in the second. Has now scored only 86 runs in his last nine test innings and must be close to getting the axe in favour of Murali Vijay.

Virender Sehwag - 8: A typical blazing hundred in the first innings and a failure in the second courtesy of a crazy run out to continue his poor record in the second innings.

Rahul Dravid - 7: Probably cemented his place for South Africa with a first innings hundred, but then ran out Sehwag in the second innings before tamely departing himself.

Sachin Tendulkar - 6: So the man is mortal after all. Will have been disappointed to fall to the innocuous Patel when well set in the first innings and can judge himself a bit unlucky to have played on to Martin in the second. We wouldn't be surprised to see normal service resumed with a big Tendulkar hundred in the second test at Hyderabad.

VVS Laxman - 9: For the third test in a row, Laxman produced a second innings masterpiece with India in trouble. It took a shocking umpiring decision to prevent the silky one from registering a hundred but Laxman can console himself with the fact that he had shepherded India to safety by then. Gets extra marks for getting the runs when they really count.

Suresh Raina - 2: A Test to forget for Raina with scores of 3 and 0 and the manner of his dismissals suggest that he has much work to do on his game if he is to succeed away from the subcontinent.

MS Dhoni - 5: Occupied the crease in the second innings after coming in at 15 for five, but looks to be struggling a bit with his batting at the moment. Brilliant stumping of McCullum was one of the highlights of the match.

Harbhajan Singh - 9: Fantastic performance with the bat to score 69 in the first innings and then his maiden test and first-class hundred in the second to suggest that he could be an all-rounder in the making. Will be disappointed with his bowling however and he must be concerned that in his last 11 Tests he has averaged 44.25 with the ball at a strike rate of 90.5. But those worries can wait for another day for the hero of the hour.

Zaheer Khan - 6: The pitch didn't offer much assistance to India's premier strike bowler and nor could he find the devastating reverse swing that so unsettled Australia. But he bowled tidily and showed enough to demonstrate that New Zealand's batsmen will find him hard to handle on a more helpful pitch.

Pragyan Ojha - 6: Ojha may have taken four wickets in the match, but one can't help but feel that he is a pale imitation of former great Indian spinners. His test bowling average of 40 would seem to confirm this observation.

Sreesanth - 5: Gave his all as usual but the pitch didn't help him but one wonders if he has the quality needed to be a top test fast bowler.

Where next?

Sachin Tendulkar's Annus Mirabilis

Is India's batting future post Sachin, VVS and Dravid brighter than expected?

Heroes: VVS Laxman

India vs Australia: 2nd Test: India marks out of 10

 
India reinforced their position as the number one ranked test side in the world ahead of a testing 18 months when they will play away series in South Africa, England and Australia. Given the form of Sachin Tendulkar and the emergence here of young players like Murali Vijay and debutant Cheteshwar Pujara, India seem well positioned to take on this triple challenge.

So with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy retained after what in the end proved an easy win, how did the Indian XI rate on the Reverse Sweep marks out of ten scale?

Murali Vijay - 9: Played the support role perfectly in that huge partnership with Tendulkar and was rewarded with a deserved maiden test ton. Then provided impetuous to the run chase in the second innings despite the early loss of Sehwag. With Gambhir's weakness against the short ball likely to be tested in the next 18 months, Vijay could get an extended run in the side at some point.

Virender Sehwag - 5: So he is human after all. Cheap dismissal after typical brutal 30 in the first innings was followed by another second innings failure. Don't worry Sehwag lovers, the next run-a-ball hundred is probably just around the corner.

Rahul Dravid - 5: Made a poor mistake to get out to Johnson again in the first innings and was then shoved down the order in the second before seeing India over the line in partnership with Sachin. Pujara's emergence could yet hasten Dravid's march to the exit door.

Sachin Tendulkar - 10: A supreme double hundred in the first innings saw the Little Master past 14,000 test runs. Incredible. The icing on the cake was the unbeaten fifty in the second innings as his Annus Mirabilis continued. How can you not give him a ten after that performance?

Cheteshwar Pujara - 8: Bounced back from getting a shooter three balls into his first test innings to impress hugely when promoted to three in the second. Given he has a first-class average of 60, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised he looked so composed. Dravid's successor looks to have been identified.

Suresh Raina - 6: Batted well enough for his 32 before falling to a sucker punch when Ponting moved long on into the circle and Raina then promptly holed out next ball to the new mid on. More difficult assignments await. Will be delighted to have snared Ponting as his first test wicket.

MS Dhoni - 6: Kept much better than he did at Mohali without ever looking entirely convincing and made a patient 30 in his only innings. His status as a captain continues to grow. 

Harbhajan Singh - 7: Six wickets in the match, with all but one being a top order batsman and his bowling was tidy enough. Still doesn't look like the Harbhajan of old though and his batting seems to have travelled rapidly downhill.

Zaheer Khan - 7: India's one genuine world-class seamer was again on form on an unhelpful pitch and deserved more than his four wickets. Will be relishing the regular opportunities to bowl on pitches outside the subcontinent in the next 18 months.

Pragyan Ojha - 7: Bowled much better and with more threat than he did at Mohali and was duly rewarded with six wickets in the match. Looks to be a good, if not outstanding spinner.

Sreesanth - 5: We're not convinced by Sreesanth. If he is India's third best seamer after Zaheer and Ishant, it doesn't say much for the rest. Grabbed two second innings wickets after taking none in a poor display first time around.

Where next?

1st Test: Mohali - India marks out of 10 

The best Indian test XI 1980-2010

Zeroes: Vinod Kambli

India vs Australia: 1st Test: India marks out of 10

 
The debate over whether India are deserving of their status as the number one test side in the World will likely roll on until we see how they fare on forthcoming tours of South Africa and England. But one thing is for sure - they don't seem to know when they are beaten, which is surely a trait of all the best teams in any sport.

In what was one of the most memorable finishes to a test match in an eon, VVS Laxman again showed that he is the man to see his side over the line in a run chase and Ishant Sharma deserves equal credit for the sterling support he provided in their match-winning ninth wicket partnership.

But how did they and the other Indian players rate over the five days in Mohali?

Gautam Gambhir - 4: Once again failed to impress against top-level fast bowling as he did in the mini-series against South Africa. That said, he did get an absolutely shocking decision in the second innings.

Virender Sehwag - 6: Typical run-a-ball fifty in the first innings before he paid the price for being too circumspect in the second, guiding a ball to gully that he would have normally brutally upper cut for four.

Rahul Dravid - 7: Seemed set for a big score in the first innings before losing concentration and then made another mistake in the second. Are there a few missing bricks from 'The Wall'?

Sachin Tendulkar - 8: Looked to be in complete control before inexplicably losing his wicket to North to continue the strange pattern throughout his career of getting out to second rate spinners. Poor shot to lose his wicket at a crucial time on the final morning.

Suresh Raina - 7: Rode his luck in the first innings and only just missed out on his second hundred in only his third test. Then his old demons against the short ball returned in the second indicating that he could be set to struggle in tests outside the subcontinent.

VVS Laxman - 9: Showed nerves of steel for the second test in succession to see India over the line and to continue his impressive record against Australia. His bad back didn't seem to hinder him on the final day. Marvellous performance and a marvellous batsman.

MS Dhoni - 5: His ridiculous run out looked to have sounded the death knell for India's run chase, so will be indebted to Laxman and Sharma. Continues to show good leadership though as India's great resilience suggests.

Harbhajan Singh - 7: - Another five wickets against his favourite opponents and he was certainly miserly throughout. Disappointing with the bat.

Zaheer Khan - 9: Eight wickets and thoroughly deserved for a consistently threatening and fiery performance with the ball. Found impressive reverse swing and troubled all of the Australian batsmen. Gets an extra mark for winding up Punter.

Ishant Sharma - 7: A real liquorice allsorts of a performance from Ishant. Woeful with the ball in the first innings, he turned the match for the first time with his three quick wickets in the second to precipitate Australia's collapse. Then he turned the game along with Laxman for a second decisive time with his brave test best knock in the run chase.

Pragyan Ojha - 6: Bowled tidily enough, but three wickets from 68 overs in the match is not a great return. Showed bottle to see India over the line.