Gautam Gambhir – 2 (102 runs at 17.00): Missed Trent Bridge because of injury and suffered concussion when making a complete mess of holding on to a skier from KP at The Oval. In between his batting against the short ball bordered on the shambolic making a mockery of a Test average of over 50.
Virender Sehwag – 2 (41 runs at 10.25): Was rushed back from his shoulder operation prematurely and bagged a king pair at Edgbaston. His brief second innings cameo at The Oval couldn’t hide the fact that he looked unfit and completely disinterested.
Abinhav Mukund – 3 (64 runs at 16.00): Stood in for Sehwag in the first two Tests and looked a decent prospect when compiling 49 at Lord’s. Needs to work on his technique against the short ball and would be well advised to book into a masterclass from Dravid.
Rahul Dravid – 9 (461 runs at 76.83): Magnificent. Foisted into an openers role he despises from where he scored two brilliant hundreds – including becoming only the third Indian to carry his bat in the first innings at The Oval. Added a third hundred from his customary role as first drop at Lord’s and scored 23% of India’s runs in the series – it would have been even more but for a couple of dodgy umpiring decisions. Looked a better keeper than his captain when Dhoni had a bowl at Lord’s.
Sachin Tendulkar – 6 (273 runs at 34.12): Has the Little Master ever looked so uncomfortable on a cricket field? England’s pacemen bowled brilliantly to him and it wasn’t until the final day of the series that we saw close to the real Tendulkar. That 100th hundred eluded him, but don’t be surprised to see the milestone reached in the forthcoming ODI series.
VVS Laxman – 4 (182 runs at 22.75): A huge disappointment. Got a few starts and reached 50 twice but was unable to go on each time. Threw his wicket away a couple of times after he’d played himself in (most shockingly in the first innings at Edgbaston) and was castled twice by a couple of Anderson jaffas.
Suresh Raina – 2 (105 runs at 13.12, 4 wickets at 62.75): Apart from a battling 78 at Lord’s, Raina scored just 27 runs in his other seven innings and concluded the series with a tortuous pair at The Oval that spanned 42 excruciating balls. Everyone knew before the series that he would struggle against the short ball, but the reality was even worse. At least looked like he was trying in the field.
Yuvraj Singh – 4 (70 runs at 35.00, 1 wicket at 52.00): Played just the one match at Trent Bridge and rode some early good fortune to hit an impressive 62 in the first innings before becoming another victim of the short ball in the second. Injury ruled him out of the rest of the series thereafter.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni – 3 (220 runs at 31.42, 13 catches): His previously impressive record of not losing a series as captain was shattered. Disappointed with the bat – two defiant fifties at Edgbaston apart, looked like an amateur with the gloves and made several strange bowling changes and field placings.
Harbhajan Singh – 1 (2 wickets at 143.50, 58 runs at 14.50): Disastrous. Took only two wickets in the series and went at over four runs per over and was then promptly injured at Trent Bridge.
Amit Mishra – 4 (3 wickets at 106.66, 153 runs at 38.25): Looked more of a batsman than a bowler especially at The Oval where he featured in India’s highest partnership of the series with Tendulkar. His bowling lacked variety and thought, and like Harbhajan went at around four runs per over.
Praveen Kumar – 7 (15 wickets at 29.53, 110 runs at 18.33): Consistently impressed with the ball, threw himself around in the field and enjoyed himself with the bat – he hit the most sixes on either side. The only Indian bowler who can hold his head up high – what he lacks in pace he more than makes up for with know-how.
Ishant Sharma – 4 (11 wickets at 58.18, 24 runs at 4.00): Frustratingly inconsistent with the ball – his spell on the fourth morning at Lord’s was sensational and nearly turned the match India’s way. But a series bowling average approaching 60 and a strike rate of a wicket every 95 balls tells a pretty woeful story.
Sreesanth – 3 (8 wickets at 61.62, 18 runs at 4.50): Mr four ball disappointed after bursting into the series on the first day at Trent Bridge where he helped reduce England to 124 for eight. Down on pace and lacking the fire of the 2007 model.
Zaheer Khan – 4 (2 wickets at 9.00): For half of the first day at the series it looked like Zaheer was set to repeat his decisive role from 2007 snaring both openers and causing Trott and Pietersen no end of problems. Then after 13.3 overs it was all over and so as it turned out were India’s hopes.
RP Singh – 1 (0 wickets for 118 runs, 25 runs at 12.50): Atrocious. Came in for the injured Kumar at The Oval and extended his run without a Test wicket to 71 overs and 367 runs, put in a comical display in the field and left a bemused Munaf Patel (who unlike Singh had been named in the original squad) looking on from the sidelines wondering what he had done wrong.
Where next?
England v India: England series marks out of 10
4th Test: The Oval - England marks out of 10
3rd Test: Edgbaston - India marks out of 10
3rd Test: Edgbaston - England marks out of 10
2nd Test: Trent Bridge - India marks out of 10
2nd Test: Trent Bridge - England marks out of 10
1st Test: Lord's - England marks out of 10
1st Test: Lord's - India marks out of 10
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