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The recently concluded Test series saw England win 4-1 but this doesn’t show how India played. They were so close to England and sometimes they were even ahead of them except the one in Lords were the Indians were outplayed clearly by England.
Many Indians performed well and there were some disappointments too. The series was full of surprises, ups and downs for both the teams. The best combined eleven is as follows…
#1 Alastair Cook
The chef who hanged up his shoes after the Test series made it through to the best combined eleven purely because other openers from both sides didn’t have much success and due to his performance in the last Test match of his career. He scored 327 runs at an average 36. He scored about 218 runs in the last Test match.
Alastair is an experienced campaigner who has scored about 12000 runs in the longest format of the game. Alastair being an opener and played most of his matches in England and scoring 12000 runs in the English conditions where the red Duke swings almost every time is a massive achievement. The experience that Alastair carries and his ability to score big whenever he gets a start made him be the opener of the combined eleven.
#2 K L Rahul
K L Rahul for me was a surprise when he was selected ahead of Pujara in the first Test and when Vijay was dropped and Rahul was given another go. Virat and Shastri stuck with Rahul and he delivered the goods in the last Test match where he scored a massive 149.
He kept India in the hunt until an unplayable delivery from Rashid got him out. Even in the third Test, he scored a couple of crisp knocks both in the first and the second innings.
K L Rahul happens to be in this combined eleven purely because of his attacking nature and his technique. In the English conditions where the ball swings and seams around defending and blocking do not work, showing some sort of intent especially with the new ball puts the bowlers off their length and will eventually play into the batsman’s hands.
This will, in turn, release the pressure on his partner. They say with age comes wisdom and in cricket with experience comes runs and Rahul showed it by scoring a massive 149 in the second innings of the last Test.
#3 Joe Root
The English captain Joe Root is in number three. Every First innings that he played in this series he a scored an important 80 runs that gave England a much important First innings lead and eventually helped England win the first Test. Root scored 329 runs in the series.
Root scored 125 runs in the last innings of the final Test, he and cook had a huge partnership of runs. Root is known for building some good and huge partnerships. The two times when he scored runs and on both occasions, he was involved in big partnerships on with Bairstow in the first innings of the first Test, where the duo put on a 106 run partnership. In the second innings at Oval Root along with Cook had put on a massive 259 run partnership.
#4 Virat Kholi (Captain)
Virat Kohli after all the criticism that he face a swinging ball after a disappointing English tour in 2014. Kohli proved to the world that he can play in any part of the world and can score runs with ease. He was way ahead of other batsmen in the leading run scorers list. Kohli scored 593 in the series with an average of 60.
This includes two centuries and a ninety. Kohli showed his experience and left a lot of balls outside the off stump, respected the good deliveries (respected James Anderson and played him out without losing his wicket to Anderson).
He was not afraid of putting the bad balls away for runs. He scored at a brisk pace and had a strike rate of 57 in the series. Right from his stances (he stood a foot and half outside his crease to compensate for the swing) to his follow through everything was just perfect. Virat Kohli will lead my side purely because of the experience that he carries as a captain in the Test arena.
#5 Johny Bairstow (Wicketkeeper)
Johnny Bairstow is the wicket-keeper batsmen. Every team would like to have a genuine wicketkeeper who can bat too, especially in the longest form of the game. Bairstow is the perfect choice if u are looking for a wicketkeeper who can bat in the top order. His consistency with the bat in the longest format will undoubtedly make him the wicketkeeper-batsman.
Even though he has not performed well this series with the bat, the other keepers didn’t have much success either. Bairstow was solid with the gloves. He along with Root were involved in a big partnership which helped England take the first inning lead. He scored 70 in that innings. In the second Test too he along with Woakes put on a huge partnership to take a huge first innings lead and handed India a big defeat.
It was after the finger Injury that he suffered in the third Test his batting dipped a bit but he continued to remain solid with the gloves.
#6 Ben Stokes
Every team needs a genuine all-rounder in their side. Ben Stokes fills that spot. Stokes didn’t play a big role with the bat this series. He just scored 200 runs in this series at an average of just 25 but the thing about all- rounder’s is that even though if they have a bad series in any one department they can always contribute in the other department that’s exactly what Stokes did in the second innings of the first Test bowled England to victory he picked up 4 wickets in the second innings.
Stokes Trapped Virat leg before wicket that sealed the game for England. Virat was playing well he had scored 51 runs until that point. Ben Stokes in- swinger did Virat and he got trapped Leg before wicket. Stokes has a natural body action that brings the ball into the right-handers and it comes in late, he can bowl at 140 Kmph these things makes him tough for the batsmen to face.
#7Jos Butler
Jos Butler is the perfect lower order batsmen that a team can get. A lower order batsmen is one who should know how to bat with the tail and should have the technique to face the swinging ball in case if the top order has been dismissed cheaply, a lower order batsmen should be aggressive and should be quick between the wickets in order to take a quick singles in order to protect the tail. Jos Butler has all the above qualities.
Jos Butler in this series scored 349 runs which makes the second highest run scorer in the series just behind Kohli. He has an average of 39 and he had a strike rate of 68. Jos Butler also serves as the backup keeper if needed.
#8 Sam Curran
Sam Curran England’s Man of the series. Sam Curran can swing the ball bowls at 80 to 85 mph. A useful lower-order batsman who can stick with the tail and score runs quickly. He was the only difference from the series being 3-2 in favour of India to England winning it 4-1.
The second innings in Edgbaston where England was in a spot of bother for 87/7 his knock of 63 helped England to post a winning total. His knock was the difference between India and England. Similarly in the Fourth Test in Southampton his 78 in the first innings and 46 in the second innings happened to be the difference as India lost it by 60 runs. Curran was dropped for the third Test and England lost it.
Sam Curran in the series scored 272 runs at an average of 38 and had a strike rate of 62. Curran has scored two fifties. Curran in this series has picked up 11 wickets.
#9 Ishant Sharma
The ever-improving Ishant Sharma had been terrific in this series. The line and length he bowled made it very tough for the English batsmen to score off him. His natural movement that is into the right-handers and away to the left-handers came in handy.
The length that is was hitting and with his booming inswinger made him more dangerous not only that Sharma is a 6’3 lad he not only moves the ball( into the right-hander and away to the left-hander) he is producing good bounce of the wicket because of his height. Ishant Sharma picked up 18 wickets at an average 24.27. He was very economical too, he had an economy of 2.89.
#10 James Anderson
The highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers showed everyone why is he a world class swing. His ability to swing the ball both ways keeps the batsmen guessing and with his experience, he hits the right length nine out of ten times this makes life so very difficult for the batsmen.
Every batsman who faced Anderson were troubled by him. Anderson not only picked up wickets he was very economical too this puts added pressure on the batsmen. Anderson picked up 24 wickets with an economy of 2.39.
#11 Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah missed the first two games due to injuries. He played the last three games and was very impressive. His Unorthodox action and the pace that is generated surprised the English batsmen. Bumrah with his extra pace rushed the English batsmen.
Bumrah with his natural angle takes the ball away from the left-handers and brings it into the right-handers but sometimes he can take it away to right-handers and into the left-handers. In the first innings of the fourth test, Burmah will get a ball to move into the left-hander Jennings and gets him out LBW. So this makes it very difficult for the batsmen to play him, especially with his pace.
Bumrah in this series has picked up 14 wickets in three matches and at an average of 25.92 and had an economy rate of 2.72.
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