India started with a bang and ended with a whimper. The victory in Perth felt like a perfect atonement for a home series whitewash against New Zealand and it had set up the Border-Gavaskar Trophy nicely. Over the course, however, the tourists fizzled, as Australia started to sizzle. A 3-1 series win in favour of the hosts was a fair result. Here’s the lowdown on some individual performances.
Rohit Sharma
Missed the first Test for the birth of his second child and looked listless as a batter and a captain in the next three games. Stood himself down in the final Test in Sydney. In fact, his best performance came in front of the TV camera, as he rubbished retirement rumours. With the bat he made 31 runs from five innings at an average of 6.20. Rating: 1/10.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
He returns from his first tour of Australia with credit in the bank — a tally of 391 runs at 43.44 from 10 innings, including a daddy hundred and two half-centuries. His run-out during India’s first innings at the MCG was the game’s turning point. Rating: 7/10.
KL Rahul
Started off well before becoming inconsistent. The tinkering with his batting position was the mitigating factor. Also, to be fair to him, he got a few very good deliveries. His catching in the slip cordon was top-notch. Rating: 6/10.
Shubman Gill
Even on the spiciest pitch of the series at the SCG, he played some gorgeous drives. But time and again he was done in by his lack of game awareness. In the fifth Test, his dismissals in both innings handed over the advantage to Australia. Rating: 3/10.
Virat Kohli
Couldn’t build on his century in the first Test in Perth. The corridor of uncertainty became his bugbear — getting out nicking the ball outside off eight times. In all likelihood, it was his last Test tour of Australia. Rating: 5/10.
Rishabh Pant
Somewhat redeemed himself with two excellent innings of contrasting styles in the final Test in Sydney. But a tally of 255 runs at 28.33 from nine innings was underwhelming for someone who was expected to lead India’s batting in the series. Rating: 6/10.
Ravindra Jadeja
Played one good innings. Couldn’t provide control with the ball. Rating: 4/10
Nitish Kumar Reddy
One of the bright spots for India in the series. He finished as the team’s second-highest scorer, with 298 runs from nine innings at an average of 37.25. He also got his maiden Test hundred in the process. But Reddy needs to improve his bowling if he wants to play as a specialist all-rounder. Rating: 7/10.
Washington Sundar
The team management messed up with his batting order — he looked too assured as a batter to bat at No. 8. On those Australian pitches, his off-spin was never going to make an impact. Rating: 6/10.
Akash Deep
Was unlucky not to get more wickets. Beat the bat several times and catches were dropped off his bowling. Akash, however, needs to be more penetrative with the old ball. Rating: 5/10.
Harshit Rana
Made an impressive debut in Perth, but ran out of steam in the next Test in Adelaide, when he was required to bowl long spells. The young fast bowler is a work in progress. Rating: 5/10.
Mohammed Siraj
A great trier, he bowled well in patches, returning with 20 wickets at 31.15. A bit more consistency would have helped. Rating: 6/10.
Jasprit Bumrah
Made the biggest impact by an overseas fast bowler on Australian soil since Harold Larwood in the Bodyline series 92 years ago. Almost single-handedly kept India in the series. Carried his team on his back before back spasm prevented him from bowling in the final innings of the series, as Australia chased 162 for victory. Bumrah ended up with 32 wickets from nine innings at an average of 13.06. To borrow it from Neville Cardus, he honoured Test cricket. Rating: 10/10.
Gautam Gambhir (head coach)
He should get some credit for blooding youngsters like Reddy and Rana. But team selections throughout the series — not playing Akash in the pink-ball Test and two spin-bowling all-rounders in the last two matches — had been baffling. On-field strategy, too, wasn’t up to scratch, especially in the final morning, when Indian pacers bowled short down the leg on a seaming pitch. Ravichandran Ashwin’s mid-series departure and the whole charade around Rohit’s omission in the final Test suggested that the dressing room wasn’t a happy place and communication probably was an issue. Also, the head coach apparently couldn’t provide solutions to the technical problems that Kohli and other batsmen faced in the series. Rating: 4/10.
- Those who featured in just one Test weren’t included in the list.