India vs England: 2/10 for the visitors for not capitalising on crucial moments

Man for man, Virat Kohli’s India were a superior side than England. But, the 4-1 scoreline in England’s favour reflected that India did not capitalise on the crucial moments throughout the series. They ought to have won the first Test in Birmingham, eventually going down by 31 runs; They ought to have won the fourth Test in Southampton, but lost by 60 runs. And, on a fine batting surface at The Oval, they ought to have saved the game, if not won it. The result should have been 3-1 in India’s favour, if not 4-1. Without taking credit away from England, India lacked the depth in batting that England had, Sam Curran and Jos Buttler batting with the lower half was something that their corresponding India numbers Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik/ Rishabh Pant could not. There was over reliance on Virat Kohli that his failure in the final Test at The Oval for a first-ball duck in the second innings spelt a massive loss, barring a brilliant fightback by Pant and KL Rahul. G Krishnan looks back at the series that could have gone India’s way but did not.

VIRAT KOHLI – Batting: 8/10, Captaincy: 4/10

The regularity with which the Indian captain is able to shoulder the burden of his team's batting is amazing. The No. 1 Test batsman Kohli wiped out the demons of 2014 tour of England in which he collected 134 runs in 10 innings in only his first knock of the series, scoring 149, and eventually finishing with 593 at 59.30. While Kohli the batsman can make no mistake, it is his captaincy that needs fine tuning. Often, he has lost the plot, be it with bowling changes, finding the right playing 11 or in finishing off the opponents' innings after removing their top half cheaply.

M: 5, I: 10, NO: 0, R: 593, Hs: 149, Ave 59.30, 100/50: 2/3, Cts: 4

MURALI VIJAY – 0/10

The consistent Indian opener in the last couple of seasons just could not take his sub-continent form to England. He was a total disaster, done in by the moving ball. The England pacers studied his strength to leave anything outside the off-stump by bringing in the ball, forcing him to play at the deliveries. A pair in the second Test at Lord's, where England's Chris Woakes hit a fluent century, was reason enough to drop him for third Test and eventually be kept out of the squad for the last two Tests.

M: 2, I: 4, NO: 0, R: 26, Hs: 20, Ave: 6.50, 100/50: 0/0, Cts: 0

SHIKHAR DHAWAN – 1/10

Shikhar Dhawan, like Vijay, has only been a wreck in the series. Despite the umpteen chances given to him, the left-hander has not justified his selection. Yes, he is an authority on flat pitches. He had a chance to enhance his reputation in overseas conditions but came a cropper. Will be lucky to be retained for India's next Test assignment, at home against the West Indies.

M: 4, I: 8, NO: 0, R: 162, Hs: 44, Ave: 20.25, 100/50: 0/0, Cts: 2

KL RAHUL – 5/10

His attacking style bore fruits in the lost cause of The Oval Test, scoring an elusive century. Starting the series at No. 3 in Birmingham, Rahul was promoted to his customary role as opener and became a regular there. Also becoming regular were his failures to convert the starts and was consumed by pacers regularly. His slip catching was sensational after beginning with buttered fingers, taking a record 14 catches, including 7 in the Southampton Test.

M: 5, I: 10, NO: 0, R: 299, Hs: 149, Ave: 29.90, 100/50: 1/0, Cts: 14

CHETESHWAR PUJARA – 6/10

Surprisingly omitted for the first Test of the series, Pujara proved why he ought to have been in the 11 in the first place when he was rightfully reinstated from the second Test. A century in the fourth Test in the company of the tail after scoring a crucial 72 in the second innings of the third Test proved his worth of a typical Test batsman that India cannot afford to keep out. Yes, he has his shortcomings, but who doesn't?

M: 4, I: 8, NO: 1, R: 278, HS: 132*, Ave: 39.71, 100/50: 1/1

AJINKYA RAHANE – 3/10

He has been the rare Indian batsman to score Test centuries outside the sub-continent in the last few years. But, barring two knocks of fifty-plus including a fighting 51 in the fourth Test, Rahane fell to the moving ball to slip catches or had his weaknesses against spin exposed by Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. He had a better tour in England in 2014. One of the safest catchers at slip for spinners, Rahane was not at his usual best this rubber.

M: 5, I: 10, NO: 0, R: 257, HS: 81, Ave: 25.70, 100/50: 0/2, Cts: 4

DINESH KARTHIK – 0/10

The opportunity presented to Dinesh Karthik will not come again. In the absence of injured Wriddhiman Saha and with Rishabh Pant being an understudy, Karthik had the best chance to become India's No. 1 wicketkeeper in Tests. He gave his place to a certain MS Dhoni in his first stint a decade ago, and now seems to have given it to Pant. Karthik did not score, nor was his glovework anything to write home about.

M: 2, I: 4, NO: 0, R: 21, Hs: 20, Ave: 5.25, 100/50: 0/0, Cts/St: 5/0

RISHABH PANT – 5/10

No doubt, Pant is one for the future. He needs to shed his T20 instincts while playing red ball cricket. That he is capable of playing the waiting game was seen during his maiden Test century in the sixth innings of his Test career. Though unafraid to hit sixes, he showed he could defend as well. If only Pant showed a similar approach in Southampton, India may have won. His wicketkeeping needs to improve. It is another matter that he took 5 catches in his maiden innings behind the stumps. He has dropped some straight forward ones too.

M: 3, I: 6, NO: 0, R: 162, Hs: 114, Ave: 27.00, 100/50: 1/0, Ct/St: 15/0

HANUMA VIHARI – 5/10

Thrown into the deep sea in the crucial fifth Test when India's pride was at stake, Vihari realised the vast difference between playing for India 'A' and the senior Indian team. Without any practice game in England – all this while he was playing for India 'A' in England and in India (against SA 'A') – he began shakily against England pacers before finding his feet in and scoring 56 in his debut innings. Got a beauty from Ben Stokes to be out for zero in the second innings. Proved a handy bowler, filling the void of the fifth bowler, taking three wickets.

M: 1, I: 2, NO: 0, R: 56, HS: 56, Ave: 28.00, 100/50: 0/1, W: 3, Ave: 12.66, Best: 3/37

HARDIK PANDYA — 4/10

Contributed to the team in patches with both bat and ball. He was at his best in that spell before tea on Day 2 in Nottingham, taking his maiden five-wicket haul. More such performances were expected of him, just like the way he needed to score consistently like his 52* in the same Test. His inability to deliver at crucial junctures as the fifth bowler or the extra batsman, perhaps made the difference in the end result. Has a long way to go before being called a genuine all-rounder.

M: 4, I: 8, NO: 1, R: 164, Hs: 52*, Ave: 23.42, 100/50: 0/1, W: 10, Ave: 24.70, Best: 5/28, 5WI: 1

Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Hanuma Vihari, Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay

RAVICHANDRAN ASHWIN – 3/10

He began the series with the promise of picking up wickets with his variations. But, that was not to be as even when his opposite number, Moeen Ali picked up wickets and bowl England to win in Southampton, turning the ball on a wearing pitch, Ashwin could not deliver in a similar fashion. Also had to battle hip strain but that cannot be the excuse for him not delivering as India's No. 1 spinner.

M: 4, I: 8, NO: 2, R: 126, Hs: 33*, Ave: 21.00, Cts: 1, W: 11, Ave: 32.72, Best: 4/62, 5WI: 0

RAVINDRA JADEJA – 6/10

Was utilised only in one match and his all-round performance proved that he should have been played right at the start of the series. But, at whose expense? Rightfully, he came in for the non-performing Ashwin in the final Test and took wickets (4 + 3) and scored an unbeaten 86 to keep India in the hunt. His utility was understood better in the English camp when their assistant coach Patrick Farbrace admitted that "the exceptional cricketer played just the last Test".

M: 1, I: 2, NO: 1, R: 99, HS: 86*, Ave: 99.00, 100/50: 0/1, W: 7, Ave: 36.85, Best: 4/79

ISHANT SHARMA – 7/10

The senior lanky pacer is finally living up to his status of the senior most bowler. He bowled his heart out, picked up wickets and did not complain about the workload. Troubled the England top-order including his bunny Alastair Cook and also mentored his fellow pacers well to pick up all 20 England wickets in three of the five Tests. Unlucky not to get more than one five-wicket haul, but the workload was shared between him, Bumrah and Shami.

M: 5, W: 18, Ave: 24.27, Best: 5/51, 5WI: 1

MOHAMMED SHAMI – 7/10

Bowled his heart out right through the series. Was unlucky on most occasions, repeatedly beating the outside edges of the top-order batsmen. Wiser with experience from the previous England tour and learning by observing England veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad, Shami hit the right lengths to trouble the English batsmen. He is, perhaps, bowling at his best in this current phase.

M: 5, W: 16, Ave: 38.87, Best: 4/57, Cts: 2

JASPRIT BUMRAH – 7/10

Playing only in his second Test series, he has become a potent weapon in India's bowling armoury. Even the legendary Alastair Cook acknowledged Bumrah's efforts when he said "he caused me a lot of heartache this series". Will do well to work on his No Ball that has cost him, and India, wicket one too many.

M: 3, W: 14, Ave: 25.92, Best: 5/85, 5WI: 1

KULDEEP YADAV – 0/10

His limited-overs exploits before the Tests led to discussions that he ought to have been playing Tests against England straightaway. But, when he did play in the second Test, he realised that there is a lot of difference between bowling short spells in limited-overs and lengthy ones in Tests. Had a forgettable Test and was rightly sent back to India to play for India 'A' and improve his first-class form.

M: 1, W: 0, Ave: --, Best: 0/44, 5WI: 0

UMESH YADAV – 1/10

Played in only the first Test and ought to have done better for a senior bowler with the reputation of being the fastest among Indians. Could not polish off the tail and let the opposition build on to their narrow first innings lead. Did not get to play any more in the series as Ishant, Shami and Bumrah were brilliant in their own ways.

M: 1, W: 3, Ave: 25.33, Best: 2/20, 5WI: 0

RAVI SHASTRI – 2/10

Confidence and playing with the aim to win has been Ravi Shastri's forte. It has been the case when he was a player and now, he is rubbing it on to Virat Kohli and Co. But, along with Kohli, he has not let the team settle down with a consistent playing 11, chopping and changing in the name of "best 11 as per the conditions", bringing in insecurity feeling among the players. Talks one thing– remember his "Pujara has been one of the pillars of this batting line-up" before the series began? -- and acts upon another – not pick the reliable Pujara for the first Test. His statement of "I can't see any other Indian team in the last 15-20 years" before the last Test received opposing reactions from former greats. It's high time Shastri and his coaching staff walked the talk.

Note: Karun Nair, Shardul Thakur (both all 5 Tests) and Prithvi Shaw (last 2 Tests) were part of the squad but did not get to play a single game.