India's 'Fab 5' vs England’s 'Fab 5': Which group is better?

Team India are currently in England, taking on the hosts in a one-day series. The Men in Blue began the ODI series in spectacular fashion, defeating the hosts by 10 wickets in the first match at the Kennington Oval in London on Tuesday (July 12). Jasprit Bumrah registered career-best figures of six for 19, while captain Rohit Sharma scored an unbeaten 76 off 58 balls as India completed a thumping win.

Earlier, Team India won the T20I series by a 2-1 margin, coming up with impressive performances with both the bat and ball. Before that, though, it was England’s turn to shine in the rescheduled Test in Birmingham. They fought back from an adverse situation to chase down 378 and clinch the Test by seven wickets.

One of the keys to the success of both sides in various formats has been the performance of their respective 'Fab 5s'. In this feature, we do a comparative analysis to try and figure out which team has a better fab quotient.

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England’s Fab 5: Jason Roy, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes

England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler. Pic: Getty Images

England’s 'Fab 5' comprises Jason Roy, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes. They all failed in the first ODI against India. Roy, Root and Stokes, in fact, bagged ducks. Bairstow was dismissed for seven, while Buttler top-scored with 30.

Over the last few years, though, they have played significant roles in the team’s success in various formats. Out of the five, Roy no longer features in Test matches, while Root hasn’t played a T20I since 2019. Buttler, meanwhile, lost his place in the Test squad following the Ashes debacle.

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England’s 'Fab 5' over the past five years

If we look at the performance of England’s 'Fab 5' over the last five years (starting 2017), Roy has smashed 2724 runs in 70 ODIs at an average of 41.90 with seven hundreds. He had an impressive 2019 World Cup, scoring 443 runs in eight matches at an average of 63.28. Roy has surprisingly not been as effective in T20Is, averaging 26.56 in 45 games.

Former captain Root has been terrific in both Tests and ODI for England over the last five years. In the traditional format, he has been among the best in the world, amassing 5864 runs in 68 matches at an average of nearly 50 with 17 seven hundreds. His performances in ODIs have been rather underrated. Root has 3092 runs in 75 one-dayers at a stupendous average of 57.25.

Bairstow has had a tremendous run in recent times. If we look at his record starting 2017, he has 2980 runs in 49 Tests at an average of 34.65 and 3047 runs in 68 ODIs at a brilliant average of 51.64. He has also scored 995 runs in 43 T20Is.

England’s new white-ball captain Buttler has an impressive one-day and T20I record, but has been disappointing in Tests. Starting 2017, he has scored 1933 runs in 71 ODIs at an average of 43.93. In T20Is, he has 1234 runs in 41 games at an average of 38.56. In Tests during the same period, he is averaging a disappointing 32.16 in 39 matches.

English Test captain Ben Stokes. Pic: Getty Images

Prolific all-rounder Stokes completes England’s current 'Fab 5'. A proven all-format player, he has scored 3378 runs in 51 Tests over the last five years and has also claimed 103 scalps.

During the same period, he is averaging 52.48 in one-dayers, having scored 1837 runs in 55 matches. He has also claimed 35 scalps. Stokes was, of course, the standout performer in the 2019 World Cup. His T20I numbers have been slightly underwhelming - 296 runs and 11 wickets in 16 games.

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India’s 'Fab 5': Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja

KL Rahul during the ODI series in South Africa. Pic: Getty Images

Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja could be termed Team India’s current 'Fab 5'. All are all-format players, which gives them an immediate edge over their England counterparts. However, not all of them have tasted success in all forms.

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India’s 'Fab 5' over the past five years

Starting with Indian captain Rohit, he is averaging 54.25 in Tests over the last five years, having scored 1953 runs in 24 matches. Over the same period, the 'Hitman' has dominated bowling attacks in one-dayers. He has amassed 4228 in 78 games at an excellent average of 63.10 with as many as 19 hundreds. Rohit has also smashed three T20I tons, scoring over 2000 runs in 66 matches.

Rahul has had a mixed time in the Test format in the last half a decade. As a result, he averages 33.05 after 33 games. He has been much more consistent in the white-ball versions. The 30-year-old has smashed 1438 runs in 39 ODIs at an average of 42.29 and 1652 runs in 51 T20Is while averaging 38.41.

Kohli has had a forgettable run with the willow over the last two seasons. However, his overall performance over the last five years still makes for impressive reading. Starting 2017, he averages 48.92 in Tests with 12 hundreds, 68.71 in ODI after 84 games (including 17 tons) and 44.62 in 54 T20Is. The stats give you a fair idea of how spectacular he was before his shocking form slump.

Jadeja has earned a place in India’s new 'Fab 5' on the basis of some consistent performances across formats. In the period starting 2017, the 33-year-old averages a healthy 45.27 with the willow and 25.25 with his left-arm spin.

He has struggled a bit in one-dayers, averaging 33.05 in 43 games with the bat and 47.41 with the ball. In T20Is, during the same period, Jadeja has scored 276 runs in 21 games and has claimed 17 scalps.

Rishabh Pant during the Birmingham Test. Pic: Getty Images

Aggressive keeper-batter Pant is the youngest among India’s 'Fab 5'. He made his international debut in February 2017. The left-hander has made a highly impactful start to his Test career, scoring 2123 runs in 31 matches at an average of 43.32 with five hundreds, four of them coming overseas. He is yet to deliver to potential in white ball cricket though, averaging 32.50 after 25 ODIs and 22.58 after 50 T20Is.

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India’s 'Fab 5' or England’s 'Fab 5'?

When it comes to versatility and consistency, India definitely have an edge. At the same time, the upcoming ICC events - T20 World Cup 2022, 2023 50-over World Cup and the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) - will give us a fairer idea of which team has the better 'Fab 5'.

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