India won all four series during the home season, winning 10 of the 13 matches they played and losing just one. The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli were the star performers with the bat while Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin made the ball sing to their tune.
There were several other performers who lit up the home season, including the likes of Wriddhiman Saha, Rohit Sharma and Umesh Yadav. But there were some who disappointed as well for a variety of reasons.
Whether due to fitness issues, concerns over their form or just an inability to consistently keep up the scores, here are 5 players who disappointed during India's home season:
#5 Murali Vijay
Only two players have scored more centuries and runs than Murali Vijay. But the Tamil Nadu opener still makes it into the list because of his dip in standards compared to the last few years. After averaging in the high 40s for three years since his return to the Test side in 2013, Vijay averaged just over 35 during the home season.
Although he did score three centuries and three fifties and provided some memorable moments for the Indian fans, he was unable to be consistent throughout the season and that is why his averaged dipped below 40. Through the home season, his tally included seven single-digit scores and he failed to cross 20 in 13 of his 21 innings.
While he made the most when he did cross that mark, as evident from six scores of fifty or more from eight innings in which he crossed 20, too often he was dismissed early and wasn't as consistent as he would have liked.
#4 Mohammed Shami
18 wickets in six Tests are by no means a bad return. But the problem with Mohammed Shami wasn't his performances on the field but the fact that he missed so much action during the home season. The fact that he played less than half of the matches is a sign that his fitness is a concern even if his performances on the pitch aren’t.
Ever since the 2015 World Cup, Shami has become an integral part of the Indian set-up across all formats but his fitness continues to be a concern and that is why he makes it into this list. His injury meant that India couldn't go with a settled bowling line-up throughout the season and although that had no bearing on results, Kohli would have wanted more matches under his pace spearhead's belt.
The fact that even in the games that Shami did play, he never took more than three wickets in a game isn't a great sign, even if pitches weren't always conducive to fast bowling.
#3 Ishant Sharma
Of all the Indian bowlers who bowled during the home season, only Ravindra Jadeja has a better economy rate than Ishant Sharma. For someone who was considered wayward and expensive for a large part of his Test career, those are remarkable numbers indeed. But he makes it into this list, because he wasn't able to convert his impressive figures into wickets.
Ishant certainly hasn't had luck on his side throughout the home season, as he has had his fair share of catches dropped off his bowling. But, at times, he hasn't helped his own case either, courtesy of his no balls, which cost him a wicket on more than one occasion. That is why, despite being the most economical fast bowler, he picked up just nine wickets in five matches.
He had the lowest tally of wickets amongst all Indian fast bowlers during the home season and although his economy rate was impressive and he created pressure from one end, his no balls and final wicket tally meant he makes it into this list.
#2 Ajinkya Rahane
There can be little doubt that Ajinkya Rahane is India's most consistent Test batsman. An away average in excess of 50 is proof of just how impressive he has been in Tests. But he makes it into this list because of a home season in which he struggled to come to grips with the turn and bounce, scoring just a solitary century in 11 matches.
On the back of an impressive series in West Indies, where he averaged 121.50, a lot was expected of India's backbone in the middle-order. But barring one knock of 188 against New Zealand, which was also his career-best Test score, he struggled throughout the season, scoring just three fifties in 11 matches.
Overall, he finished the season with an average of under 40, which is well below his career average in the format. His poor form even prompted a few to question whether he should be a regular in the Indian side, but both Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli, laughed off any suggestion of dropping him on the back of a few bad games and they were vindicated as he captained India in the final Test of the season against Australia to a series victory.
#1 Karun Nair
In just his second Test for India, Karun Nair became just the second Indian player after Virender Sehwag to score a Test triple century. But barring that one glorious knock, which will go down as one of the finest by an Indian batsman, Nair had a horrible home season.
Although he averages above 60 in his Test career, which began during the England series, remove that one unbeaten triple century and his numbers don't make for particularly great reading. He averaged just 13.50 in the Australia series and barring the Chennai Test in which he scored his triple ton, he scored just 71 runs in five matches at an average of under 12.
After an incredible start to his Test career and being the unfortunate victim of Ajinkya Rahane's return to fitness, after he benefitted from it in the first place to score his triple ton, Nair has flattered to deceive. He will be hoping that he gets another chance to show that the triple century was no fluke and that his first-class average of over 50 is actually a true reflection of his abilities.
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