India completed an emphatic 4-1 Test series triumph over England in Dharamsala on Saturday, wrapping up victory by an innings and 64 runs.
Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his 100th Test, picked up five wickets in the second innings to finish with nine in the match as India dismissed England for 195 for a win inside three days.
A series that promised a lot finished clearly in India's favour. Below, we take a look at how the players fared throughout the five Tests.
India
Rohit Sharma: 9/10
Had to dig deep as captain and batsman. Turned things around from Rajkot, hitting two tons and a fifty in five outings. Got the best out of limited resources as he was without a number of seniors. Picked and backed youngsters, and they responded brilliantly.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: 10/10
India’s best player. Two double centuries and three fifties in a record-breaking series for the opener. Not only did he score more than 700 runs, but he got them in less than 900 balls. India’s all-format star of the future.
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India's Yashasvi Jaiswal celebrates after reaching his century during the third day of the third Test against England at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Saturday, February 17, 2024. AFP -
Yashasvi Jaiswal hit five sixes during his ton on Saturday. AFP -
Yashasvi Jaiswal had to retire hurt after reaching his century. AFP -
India's Mohammad Siraj, right, was the pick of the bowlers on Saturday. AP -
Mohammad Siraj, left, celebrates the wicket of England's James Anderson. AP -
England's James Anderson is clean bowled by Mohammad Siraj. Reuters -
Rehan Ahmed of England is bowled by a yorker from Mohammad Siraj. Getty Images
Shubman Gill: 8/10
Started poorly but trusted his technique to work his way back into form. The unbeaten fifty he scored in a tense chase in the fourth Test second innings was one of his finest. Asked for the difficult job of batting at number three and has shown the hunger for Test cricket, which is noteworthy.
KL Rahul: 7/10
Batted well in the first Test but picked up an injury, that kept him out of the entire series. Has found his true calling in the middle order and has become the most reliable Indian batsman in all conditions, when fit.
Shreyas Iyer: 4/10
Iyer lost a lot this series. Failed to kick on with the bat in the first two Tests, got left out of the playing XI, then complained of back spasms. Did not report for domestic cricket duties, as directed, and lost his central contract. A steep fall for India’s hero of the ODI World Cup.
Rajat Patidar: 1/10
The team gave him ample opportunities, the wickets were flat and the opposition had inexperienced bowlers. Failed in six outings and at the age of 30, should consider himself lucky if he gets picked again.
Sarfaraz Khan: 7.5/10
Forced his way into the team on the back of big scores over multiple seasons. Showed intent and clarity of thought, handling England’s inexperienced spinners with the ease that was expected from other seniors.
Dhruv Jurel: 8/10
Find of the series. Exceptional with the bat and the main reason India won the fourth Test from a losing position, scoring 90 and 39 not out while chasing. His glovework was decent, but he did spill a couple of chances, while his DRS calls were not up to the mark.
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Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten fifty to help guide India to a five-wicket win over England in the fourth Test in Ranchi on Monday, February 26, 2024. AFP -
India's Shubman Gill, right, and Dhruv Jurel added 72 runs guide India to a tense win over England in Ranchi. AP -
Shubman Gill was one of the several youngsters who played a part in India's series win. AFP -
India captain Rohit Sharma scored a crucial fifty. Reuters -
Rohit Sharma gets stumped by England's Ben Foakes, which was later adjudged caught behind. AP -
Dhruv Jurel starred with the bat in both innings. Reuters -
India's Dhruv Jurel was named player of the match in Ranchi. AP -
England's Shoaib Bashir was impressive once again, picking up three wickets. Reuters -
England's Ollie Pope takes the catch to dismiss India's Rajat Patidar, off the bowling of Shoaib Bashir. Reuters -
England's Ben Stokes and teammates celebrate after the wicket of India's Rajat Patidar. Reuters
Devdutt Padikkal: 7/10
Got his debut with the series already won and on a flat wicket with India ahead. Still, made the most of the one opportunity he got and should be at the back of the mind of management as seniors begin to make way.
KS Bharat: 5/10
Was reliable with the gloves but his batting was not up to the mark. Was anyhow expected to make way once Rishabh Pant becomes fit, but with Jurel firing and Rahul also a keeper, should be the end of the road for him.
Ravindra Jadeja: 7/10
Scored critical runs in the first two Tests and was superb with the ball throughout the series, picking up wickets at crucial junctures. Wickets were good, which allowed him to showcase his skills as the best left-arm spinner in the game.
Ravichandran Ashwin: 8/10
Completed 500 wickets and 100 Tests. Was responsible for turning the crucial fourth Test around with a five-wicket haul in the second innings after England had gained a lead. His batting, however, got worse as the series wore on. Nine wickets in his 100th Test was perfect.
Kuldeep Yadav: 9/10
India’s best slow bowler, challenging the batsmen in all phases. No batsman could line him up and had the best strike rate and average among all three Indian spinners. Showed excellent application with the bat.
Axar Patel: 5/10
Was seen as possibly India’s trump card at home but quickly fell out of contention once wickets turned out to be true. His batting has come of age, so could pip Jadeja in white-ball cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah: 8/10
Outstanding. Had the best strike rate, average and economy among all Indian bowlers. Was a menace with the new and old ball. His yorker to Ollie Pope was the defining moment of the series.
Mohammad Siraj: 3/10
A forgettable series for the quick, who could not make use of the new or old ball. Went wicketless in six innings, ending up as a replacement rather than strike bowler.
Mukesh Kumar: 3/10
His shortcomings on flat wickets got exposed and might only be considered for specific conditions in future, if at all.
Akash Deep: 6/10
Got picked in the fourth Test where India did not have Bumrah, and rose to the challenge, picking up three top order wickets in the first innings. Should do well on surfaces with a bit more help.
England
Zak Crawley: 8/10
England’s best batsman of the tour. Negotiated the new ball expertly, gave the visitors good starts consistently, and handled spin well. Simple technique and positive mindset – something other batsmen in the team forgot to do.
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England batsman Ben Duckett celebrates after reaching his century on the second day of the third Test against India at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on February 16, 2024. Getty Images -
India's Ravichandran Ashwin, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking his 500th wicket, England's Zak Crawley. AFP -
India's Ravichandran Ashwin bowls. AFP -
India's Mohammed Siraj celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of England's Ollie Pope. AFP -
England's Ollie Pope gets hit by ball on his way to a score of 39 off 55 balls. AFP -
England's Ben Duckett in action. Reuters -
A physio attends to India's Mohammed Siraj, who was injured playing a reverse sweep. AP -
England bowler Mark Wood appeals successfully for the wicket of India's Jasprit Bumrah, given out LBW for 26. Getty Images -
England's captain Ben Stokes congratulates Rehan Ahmed on taking the wicket of India's Ravichandran Ashwin. AP -
England's Joe Root, centre, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of India's Ravindra Jadeja, caught and bowled for 112. AFP -
England's Joe Root, left, celebrates after taking the wicket of India's Ravindra Jadeja. AP -
James Anderson of England celebrates with teammates after dismissing Kuldeep Yadav of India. Getty Images
Ben Duckett: 7/10
Scored a stunning ton in the third Test. Attacked as much as Crawley but his odd technique began to fail after the third match. Made a strange remark about Jaiswal possibly emulating England’s aggressive cricket. All went downhill after that.
Ollie Pope: 6/10
Started the series with a bang, scoring a match-winning ton in Hyderabad full of audacious strokes when the team were behind in the second innings. Got a deadly yorker from Bumrah in the second Test and never recovered.
Joe Root: 8/10
Thankfully, abandoned his wild strokeplay as the series slipped away. Went back to his tried and tested approach that made him an all-time England great. Finished with a century and a fifty. If only he had batted ‘normally’ throughout.
Jonny Bairstow: 5/10
Got starts in almost every Test, yet never crossed 40. Was intent on attacking no matter what, which resulted in England giving away strong positions every match.
Ben Stokes: 4/10
A terrible tour for Stokes as captain and batsman. Batted just about as many balls as Kuldeep Yadav – who looked more confident with the bat. Bowled only in the fifth Test when there was no one else to go to.
Ben Foakes: 5/10
The best wicketkeeper against spin in the game. Was resilient with the bat but the more established players ahead of him failed regularly and he was left with the tail. Could flourish if backed properly.
Rehan Ahmed: 5/10
Brought a lot of energy to the bowling and can be nurtured into a useful all-format cricketer. Had to leave the tour for personal reasons. Will have to learn the art of consistent, albeit boring, bowling if he wants to succeed.
Tom Hartley: 7/10
Full marks to the selectors for backing an untested bowler on such a tough tour. Bowled tirelessly and kept the batsmen in check, while showing superb technique with the bat.
James Anderson: 6/10
The greatest fast bowler of all time finished the tour with 700 wickets. The 41-year-old continues to defy his age and serves as an inspiration for cricketers who want to prove themselves in the hardest format.
Shoaib Bashir: 7/10
Another inspired selection from England. Hardly anyone knew of him, but bowled marathon spells, even when the chips were down. Might require minor tweaks to bowling technique, but his temperament is made of steel.
Mark Wood: 4/10
Bowled his heart out. But as expected, just pace on India wickets will take you nowhere. Was lucky India had an inexperienced batting line-up. His figures could have been even worse.
Ollie Robinson: 2/10
Huge disappointment in the series-deciding fourth Test. Was low on pace and barely got the ball through. Any other pacer would have been a better choice.
Jack Leach: 5/10
Unfortunately hurt himself in the first Test and that cost England dearly, as he is a dogged batsman as well. But at least England know the cupboard is not empty when it comes to spin.
