What a series! The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been one of the most thrilling in recent years. Both teams looked equal. Barring the Edgbaston Test, every game was close. Either team could have won each match. And the Oval Test was the perfect illustration of that. India would emerge as the happier side since they were not only the touring team but also under transition. From 0-1 down to 2-2 is a result India would have taken before the tour even started.

India player rating for England Tests: Batters

Yashasvi Jaiswal, 8/10: 411 runs (2 hundreds & 2 fifties)

By his lofty standards, Yashasvi Jaiswal had an average series. But he ended the tour with a well-made hundred. His 118-run knock set the game up for India at The Oval. A lot of his dismissals were soft. The worst was against Jofra Archer at Lord’s, where he tried to pull him in his first over and got out. But considering it was Jaiswal’s first tour to England and the new ball was the biggest challenge, he did a fine job.

KL Rahul, 10/10: 532 runs (2 hundreds & 2 fifties)

KL Rahul took the responsibility of being India’s senior-most batter. He gave India a start in four of the five matches. As mentioned above, opening is the toughest job, and Rahul outdid all the openers by quite some margin. He was India’s most consistent batter, scoring fifty or more in the first four Tests.

Shubman Gill, 10/10: 754 runs (4 hundreds)

Every time Shubman Gill scored more than 21 runs, he scored a hundred. Only Sunil Gavaskar has scored more runs than him in a Test series for India. His hundred at Headingley set up India to win, but it couldn’t happen. So at Edgbaston, Gill went bigger, scoring 430 runs a match, the second most of all time. His hundred when India was 0/2 and trailing by 311 runs at Old Trafford was glorious.

Karun Nair, 3/10: 205 runs (1 fifty)

Karun Nair failed to justify his comeback. He batted 8 times and made double-digit scores, yet had only 1 half-century to show for it. Nair even got good starts in half of those innings, but even then, he couldn’t do much. Perhaps the only good thing he did was delay early starts for Gill. But apart from that, Nair left a lot to be desired.

Sai Sudharsan, 6.5/10: 140 runs (1 fifty)

Sai Sudharsan was dropped after failing in his debut Test. He came back and scored a fine fifty. In the last Test, he played well but got two unplayable balls. He solved his leg-side problem midway through as well. His temperament looked perfect for a number three. Sudharsan had no issue playing for long, something you want from your top-order batter. He’ll only get better from here.

Rishabh Pant, 10/10: 479 runs (2 hundreds & 3 fifties)

Rishabh Pant suffered a finger and foot injury. He missed the last Test. Yet, he scored 479 runs. Not 5 batters scored more runs than him. We also have to take into account that he came out to bat despite not being able to properly play a shot due to his hurt finger and even when he couldn’t even walk properly. He was destined to score more, but injuries interrupted his career-best batting performance.

Dhruv Jurel, 7/10: 53 runs (19 & 34)

Dhurv Jurel was India’s wicketkeeper in 2 matches even before he batted. He showed his incredible glovework up the stumps when Akash Deep was bowling. With the bat, he showed his best for a while but couldn’t convert due to two great deliveries.

India player rating for England Tests: All-rounders

Ravindra Jadeja, 8/10: 516 runs & 7 wickets (1 hundred & 5 fifties)

Ravindra Jadeja was among the top 5 batters of the series. Across 5 matches, he was dismissed just once in the second innings. One can’t appreciate his batting enough. He broke Garry Sobers’ record of most 50+ scores in England in a series. But his bowling wasn’t great. He wasn’t India’s best spinner despite having 13 years of experience. Jadeja averaged 72.42 with the ball and was ineffective at Headingley, which was one of the reasons for India’s defeat.

Washington Sundar, 10/10: 284 runs & 7 wickets (1 hundred & 1 fifty)

Washington Sundar showed what one can expect from him. Playing slow for a draw or scoring a 39-ball fifty, he did both. He was India’s best spinner, averaging 34 less than Jadeja. The issue was Gill’s lack of trust in his bowling for some reason. In an ideal scenario, he should have bowled more. But Washington did what one can desire from their all-rounder.

Shardul Thakur, 2/10: 46 runs, 2 wickets

Shardul Thakur played 2 matches, scoring 46 runs at 15.33 and taking 2 wickets at 72. His failure was in part due to their usage. Shardul bowled just 27 overs in 2 matches. Also, 41 of his runs came in one innings.

Nitish Reddy: 4/10: 45 runs, 3 wickets

Nitish Reddy showed glimpses of his true potential at Lord’s. His bowling performance was better than Shardul’s, as all 3 of his wickets were of openers. But even he wasn’t used properly, bowling just 28 overs in 2 matches. Considering his talent, he was disappointing with the bat.

India player rating for England Tests: Bowlers

Jasprit Bumrah, 9/10: 14 wickets (two 5-wicket hauls)

Jasprit Bumrah had an off series by his standards. Due to fitness issues, he played just 3 Tests. Yet, he was the 4th highest wicket-taker. Among the Indian pacers, no one had a better average, economy, or strike rate. He was off-colour at Old Trafford; his speeds were down and he gave away 100 runs for the first time.

Mohammed Siraj, 10/10: 23 wickets (two 5-wicket hauls)

Mohammed Siraj ended as the series’ highest wicket-taker. He fought injury and tired legs to tirelessly bowl for India with good control and speed. In Bumrah’s absence, he became India’s bowling leader. His skills came to the forefront when it mattered the most. Being the only fast bowler to play all matches takes fitness, and Siraj backed that up with great performances. And taking India to win at the Oval was the cherry on top.

Akash Deep, 7/10: 13 wickets (one 10-wicket haul)

Akash Deep took a 10-wicket haul at Edgbaston. Apart from Gill’s masterclass, he was the other reason for India’s sole victory on the tour. But in the next two matches, Akash didn’t look fit. He took just 3 wickets in these games. At one point, Gill was heard asking him if he takes his injection at the Oval. His selection was slightly redeemed by his 66-run knock.

Prasidh Krishna, 7/10: 14 wickets

Prasidh Krishna showed glimpses of his potential at various times but never all together at once. His lack of control was shocking at times. His economy was over 5 after 3 matches. But considering how flat the pitches were for the most part and that India needed wickets, his selection wasn’t bad. But one can argue easily that had he given India control, the outcome of the series could have been different. In the end, Prasidh stood up when it mattered the most with a 4-wicket haul in both innings of the Oval Test.

Anshul Kamboj, 2/10: 1 wicket

Expected to provide control, Anshul Kamboj was all over the place. He bowled just 18 of the 157.1 overs and had an economy of 4.94. It was a debut to forget. Throughout the Test, it looked like he wasn’t fit, as he was recovering from a shin injury. His speeds weren’t even in the early 130s.