India's Test Report Card 2018: Rating the players

India are the number one side on the ICC Test Team Rankings and their performances this year have in no way reduced their rankings or standards. They displayed a higher class of fight and spirit and deserved series wins in England as well as South Africa which they weren't able to achieve because of the pressure of batting in the fourth innings.

India are on their way to a historic series win in Australia and a few players have matured remarkably even as others still need to improve.

Also Read: India's ODI report card 2018 - Rating the players

In this article, we will take a look at how each of the Indian Test players fared in 2018 and how important their contribution was to the team's performance in the calendar year. All players are rated on a scale of ten.

Note: Only players who have played 5 or more Tests have been rated in this article.

Murali Vijay

Rating - 3

In 2018, Murali Vijay scored only one fifty-plus score in Tests. This was a 105 against a below-par Afghanistan bowling attack. He wasn't able to score significant runs in either of the two challenging tours of South Africa, England and was axed after playing two Tests in Australia.

His batting average in the eight matches he has played is 18.80. Vijay earned his place against Australia through his performances in County cricket but failed to perform down under. With new players like Mayank Agarwal and Prithvi Shaw in the fray, Vijay might well be towards the end of his career.

Shikhar Dhawan

Rating - 3

Shikhar Dhawan had a disappointing run of Test matches in 2018. The southpaw scored 301 runs in six Test matches. Of those, 107 runs came against Afghanistan in great batting conditions.

He struggled against South Africa and England where he scored runs at an average of 16 and 20.25. Dhawan's inability to cope with foreign conditions led to him being left out of the Test squad for Australia.

KL Rahul

Rating - 4.5

KL Rahul is one player who disappointed everyone in 2018. Hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket, he has scored just 468 runs in 12 matches averaging a below par 22.28.

Rahul had a poor series against South Africa but his IPL performances gave everyone hope that he was going to shine in England. After scoring a lot of runs in the T20Is, Rahul along with the other Indian batsmen struggled in the Tests. However, he still managed to score a stunning 149 during the fifth Test at the Oval.

Rahul failed to capitalise against the West Indies and also played badly against Australia. Due to his low confidence and poor form, he was axed along with Vijay for the third Test at the MCG. With other exciting options competing for his spot, Rahul must find a way to regain his form.

Hardik Pandya

Rating - 5

Hardik Pandya had an on and off time in Tests this year. His batting approach showed a lot of intent but he wasn't always able to convert his starts into scores. He worked more as a strike bowler and performed better in England than in South Africa.

Against South Africa, he scored a blistering 93 at Cape Town. He later picked up a five-wicket haul and scored a fifty in India's victory against England at Trent Bridge. The all-rounder missed the home series against West Indies and the first three Tests in Australia due to injury.

Ajinkya Rahane

Rating - 5.5

The Indian vice-captain wasn't at his best in 2018 and most of his significant contributions went unnoticed. His best innings were a 40-odd against South Africa, 81 against England and a more important 71 against Australia in the first Test which set the game up for an Indian win.

In South Africa, England and Australia, Rahane averaged 28.50, 25.70 and 33.16 respectively. Against the West Indies, he scored 121 runs at an average of 60.50. Rahane has certainly worked on scoring his runs more quickly and most of his dismissals have come as a result of loose shots. India will expect a slightly better performance from Rahane next year.

Umesh Yadav

Rating - 6

Umesh Yadav had a good year in Indian conditions in 2018. He picked up 20 wickets in five matches averaging a good 21.50 in total. Most of his exploits though came against the West Indies where he picked up 11 wickets in two matches averaging a stunning 15.36. He picked up four wickets against Afghanistan.

But outside of India, Umesh wasn't the same. In England, he got only one opportunity where he picked up three wickets and was very economical. He hasn't been good against Australia in the only Test he played and is currently warming the bench.

Rishabh Pant

Rating- 7/10

Rishabh Pant made his Test debut after Dinesh Karthik misfired and he has now cemented his spot in the Indian Test team. The aggressive keeper batsman has scored 537 runs in eight matches averaging a good batting average of 38.35. Pant's only issue seems to be his over-aggressive approach which has cost him his wicket and he seems to be on course to address that.

He averaged 92 against the Windies, 27 against England and 31.83 against Australia. He scored a brilliant 114 alongside KL Rahul in the Oval Test after a top-order collapse showing character and aggression at the same time. India have been expecting the same kind of innings from him but it hasn't materialized.

Ishant Sharma

Rating- 7.5/10

Ishant Sharma's excellence in Test match Cricket has been unchanged in 2018 as well. He has picked up 40 wickets in 11 matches at a good bowling average of 22.27. He was brilliant against South Africa where he picked up eight wickets with a great bowling average of 18.75.

Against England, he had 18 wickets and against Australia, he has handled the new ball well. His testing spell of bowling against South Africa in the match where he picked up 5 wickets was his best performance in the entire year. Ishant's consistency is something to praise.

Ravindra Jadeja

Rating- 7.5/10

Jadeja is one player who has been underutilized this year. The bowling all-rounder has played only five Tests this year and has had a positive run of games scored 228 runs averaging 45.60 and picked up 24 wickets averaging a good 22.62. He picked up six wickets against Afghanistan and seven against West Indies.

Against England, he picked up seven wickets and scored 99 runs in the only match he played. He was given a chance to play against Australia in the third Test and he performed very well with the ball. He scored a brilliant 100 against West Indies and picked up seven wickets against them. India must certainly give more opportunities to 'Sir' to reap the profits.

Mohammed Shami

Rating- 7.5/10

Mohammed Shami has been good in Tests this year and has been good with his bowling despite a tumultuous personal life. He has picked up 46 wickets from 12 matches in 2018. He made an instant impact in South Africa picking up 15 wickets in three Test matches averaging a brilliant 17.50.

In England, he wasn't too good as he picked up 16 wickets in five matches. He was good against the Windies and has been good so far in Australia. He has used the reverse swing well and has cleaned up the Aussie tail on many occasions.

One instance where he impressed was the second innings in Perth. He used the bounce of the drop-in pitch at the Optus Stadium and bowled a testing spell of classic Test match bowling. His bouncers and reverse swinging deliveries fetched him six wickets. Shami is certainly a big asset to Indian cricket.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Rating- 7.5/10

Ravichandran Ashwin has been a mainstay in the Indian Test team for many years and he had a good 2018 in this format. He picked up 38 wickets in 10 matches and has scored 306 runs averaging 21.40. Ashwin has turned into an all-rounder and provides batting stability to the team. He was decent against England where the ball didn't turn too much and batted with dour resistance in South Africa.

He was excellent against West Indies and Afghanistan and was brilliant against Australia in the first Test at Adelaide. He is nursing a niggle and India will be hoping that he'll be back to full fitness. Ashwin has been good on all sorts of pitches and is here to stay.

Cheteshwar Pujara

Rating- 8.5/10

Pujara has been the perfect Test batsman for India and has had a great 2018. He started off poorly in South Africa averaging 16.66 but after that, he was excellent. He has scored 837 runs in 13 matches averaging 38.04 and has scored three 100s.

In England, he averaged 39.71 and scored a match-winning 100. He has been more brilliant against Australia and has thrown the Aussie bowlers into dismay. He has scored 328 runs in three matches averaging 54.66 with two 100s.

His best knock came against England where he played an innings of utmost character to help India post a decent total in a game which India ended up winning. He scored a brilliant 123 in the first Innings of the first Test followed by a 73 which was very important for India's historic win at Adelaide.

Jasprit Bumrah

Rating- 9/10

Jasprit Bumrah has been India's greatest find in Tests this year and has been exceptional. He has picked up 47 wickets from nine matches at a great bowling average of 20.17. Against South Africa, he picked up 14 wickets in three matches. Against England, he took 14 wickets in three matches as well. He has been simply outstanding against Australia and has struck fear into the hearts of Aussie batsmen.

He has taken 19 wickets in three matches averaging a stunning 14.68 and has been Kohli's strike bowler. In the Test at Melbourne, Bumrah was almost unplayable and his slower yorker to Shaun Marsh was the talk of the town. Bumrah has been a force to reckon with and has been India's best bowler this year.

Virat Kohli

Rating- 9.5/10

There is no doubt who the top rated player will be. Virat Kohli is running out of records to break and oppositions to destroy with his batting. He scored a mammoth 1322 runs in 13 matches averaging a colossal 55.08 and stands clear of other Indian batsmen.

He was India's lone solace against England where he scored 593 runs in five matches averaging 59.30 and is in great form against Australia.

His 123 at Perth was an innings which bled passion and his celebration showed that his bat was going to do the talking. Amidst criticism and praise over his captaincy and batting, Kohli has remained focused and has been simply outstanding this year.

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Edited by Mridul Bhasin