England vs India 2018: Report card for the Indian players 

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Kohli
Kohli played some stunning in the series

India's long tour of England ended on a losing note after the team's defeat in the last and the final Test of the five-match Test series. Despite some magnificent individual performances from some of the Indian players, team India couldn't avoid the series defeat due to lack of consistency and some debatable tactics of the team management.

While some players rose to the occasion and performed brilliantly, some players didn't fare well. Now that the series is done and dusted, it is very important to analyse the performance of each player individually. In the following report card, each player is awarded marks on a scale of 10 based on their performances in the Test series. This report card will present a fair idea whether a player lived up to the expectations or has failed to deliver.


Isha
Ishant led the Indian bowling-attack brilliantly

Virat Kohli - 9

Virat Kohli silenced all his critics who questioned his ability to play in seaming conditions. Kohli ended up as the highest run-getter of the series. However, some of the decisions taken by Kohli as captain came under scrutiny.

Jasprit Bumrah - 8.5

Bumrah came back in the side in the third Test and created impact immediately by picking up 5 wickets in England's second innings. Bumrah bowled brilliantly throughout the series and ended up picking 14 wickets in just three matches.

Ishant Sharma - 8

Ishant Sharma led the Indian attack brilliantly. He bowled a lot fuller than he usually does and thus got more wickets. The tall fast-bowler was India's highest wicket-taker of the series with 18 wickets.

Mohammed Shami - 7.5

Mohammed Shami bowled his heart out in this series. He troubled the English batsmen with his swing and used the conditions to good effect. Shami took 16 wickets on the series and looked unplayable at times.

Pujara
Pujara played a couple of fighting innings

Ravindra Jadeja - 7.5

Ravindra Jadeja just got one opportunity in the entire series. However, his performance in the only Test he played might make the team management regret their decision of not playing him earlier. Jadeja took seven wickets and scored 99 runs in the last Test.

Hanuma Vihari - 7

Hanuma Vihari made his debut in the last match of the series. When he came to the crease in the first innings India was not in great condition. But Vihari played a gritty innings of 56 runs and helped India recover. He also took 3 wickets with the ball.

Ravichandran Ashwin - 6.5

After starting well in the first Test, Ashwin suffered with fitness and form later on. While he took seven wickets in the first Test, and only managed to pick up 4 in the next three. Ashwin wasn't at his best with the bat either.

Cheteshwar Pujara - 6.5

Pujara was picked in the second Test after being left out in the first. Even though Pujara would have liked to score more runs than what he actually did, he played a couple of crucial innings for the team. His innings of 132 in the first innings of the fourth Test kept India in the game.

Pant
Pant scored a sparkling century in the last Test

Rishabh Pant - 6.5

Rishabh Pant scored 162 runs in six innings with an average of 27. However, his innings of 114 in the last Test will give him a lot of confidence going further in his career. Pant's wicket-keeping also improved as the series progressed.

Umesh Yadav - 6

Umesh Yadav played only one Test in the series. He took 3 wickets in the match. While he was a little wayward in the first innings, he bowled well in the second. Umesh wasn't considered once Bumrah was back.

KL Rahul - 5.5

Even though KL Rahul played a sensational innings in the last Test, he failed to deliver in most part of the series. Except for the last Test, he failed to score even a single fifty in the series. Rahul will have to perform consistently to keep his place in the side.

Hardik Pandya - 5.5

Hardik Pandya was expected to play a huge role in India's pursuit for a series win in England. But unfortunately, Pandya couldn't perform consistently with the ball or bat. Except for a brilliant bowling spell in the third Test, Pandya couldn't do much in the series.

I
Indian openers failed to give solid starts to the team

Rahane - 5

Ajinkya Rahane looked completely out of sorts throughout the series and his poor form resulted in a fragile looking middle order. The Indian vice-captain has been out of form for quite a while now.

Shikhar Dhawan - 3

Shikhar Dhawan failed to convert starts into big scores and did not score even a single fifty in the series. With his poor overseas record continuing, he might be dropped from the Test side.

Kuldeep Yadav - 2

Kuldeep Yadav troubled the English batsmen with his spin in the T20 and ODI series and he was expected to do the same in the Test series. However, Kuldeep struggled to find his rhythm in the only Test he played and ended the match being wicket-less.

Dinesh Karthik - 2

In the absence of regular wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha, this was considered to be a fantastic opportunity for Dinesh Karthik to cement his place in the Test side. But Karthik failed to grab the opportunity as he scored just 21 runs in 4 innings.

Murli Vijay - 2

Murli Vijay's inability to provide good starts to the Indian team was a major reason for India's poor batting display in the first two Tests. Vijay was dropped from the side for the last two Tests and might find it difficult to get back in the Test side.

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Edited by Alan John