The Indian team completed a whitewash and continued their reign at the top of the Test rankings. The players all showed up and performed like professionals. Here is the ranking of the players individually:
Shikhar Dhawan (10/10):
The left-hander was splendid, hitting two centuries in the series after being bought in as a replacement for the injured Murali Vijay. Dhawan was the leading run scorer of the series and was awarded the man of the series award. It was an almost perfect series for the dashing opener from Delhi.
KL Rahul (7/10):
After a long injury lay-off, Rahul continued his good form, but was once again not able to convert his good starts into big scores. He will look to capitalise from here on. Rahul scored some good fifties but he needs to go on and convert them into big ones. Fans and teammates have huge exceptions from KL Rahul and needs to lift him even further in the coming series.
Abhinav Mukund (7/10):
Got to play only one game and made a good 81 in the second innings of the first test. Will need to be content with the bit-part role and make use of all opportunities. There isn’t much to discuss about Mukund because he is not to be a part of India’s Test unit for a very long period of time. KL Rahul, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan will be pushing each other for the opening slot. However, he should have made the most of the opportunity he got in the first two innings.
Cheteshwar Pujara (9.5/10):
Probably the hardest batsman to get out in international cricket at the moment, Pujara was immense and proved to be the difference in the first two tests. Pujara showed great technique and batted solidly throughout the series.
Virat Kohli (7/10):
Spot on with most of his tactics as captain but was not really tested. As a batsman, he came good in the first test, but got out cheaply. He will look to consolidate in the long limited overs cricket ahead.
Ajinkya Rahane (8.5/10):
An accomplished batsman who hardly looked uncomfortable, Rahane reaped runs in this series, scoring a century and half-centuries. India captain wasn’t in the best of forms but he will be a happy man after whitewashing Sri Lanka in their own backyard.
Wriddhiman Saha (8/10):
Was sharp as ever behind the stumps, proving he was an able replacement for MS Dhoni. He even managed a half-century. Saha didn’t make any big impact but he performed his duties well.
Ravindra Jadeja (9/10):
After a hard Champions Trophy, this Test series would have come as a serious reprieve for Jadeja as he showed his strength on sub-continental tracks. Was great with the bat too, scoring vital runs down the order.
Ravichandran Ashwin (8.5/10):
Business as usual for the off-spinner, as he picked up another five wicket haul in the series and went past 250 wickets and 50 Tests for the country. Dependable as ever with the bat.
Hardik Pandya (9/10):
The all-rounder scored a half-century on debut and had a superb Test series. The Indian team have placed their faith on the player and were repaid handsomely. He was immense in the third test, scoring a century. However, he needs to improve his bowling and add a few more yards to make an impact in Test cricket with the ball.
Mohammad Shami (7.5/10):
The bowler who was back after an injury layoff was able to pick up wickets at regular intervals and will continue to find his place in the squad.
Umesh Yadav (8/10):
The Indian pacer was in good form, and is the main strike bowler of the team. He has the ability to swing things around at crucial intervals.
Kuldeep Yadav (9/10):
Played only the one game, but got 4 wickets in his first innings and followed it with a few neat runs with the bat. Picked up another wicket to cap off another promising performance.
By KL Rahul
