1) Zaheer= 9.0/10...one of the best overseas bowling performances from an Indian seamer that came at a time when batting backed it....so it weighed in the consequential results. He was fit and fast and aggressive, with swing( both conventional and reverse) and variations--angles as Vaughn called it....hunger to make up for the forced "sit-out" in the Chappell times. That he didn't deliver in the one last inning meant a draw instead of a win, showing how valuable he was.....but at the same time loses him a point.

2) Sourav Ganguly= 8.5/10...another Chappell victim averaged ~50...was the shining beacon of guts-n-fight and consistency in this team....and won many a battle....hard fought, gutsy in T1....to fluent and aggressive in T2 and strokeful much-needed 57 when the innings had crawled to a halt in T3. Many an obituary was written for him over the last 2 years....and yet the man not only refuses to die, but looks more compact and assured than any other batsman in this team or at any other point in his career.

3) Kumble = 8.0/10….Professional Mr. Reliable of Indian cricket…goes on and on…with his prolific ~5wkt /Test and got his ubiquitous 14 for this series. Crowned his closing career with his only career… and team’s only century for the series. Lack of one super spell stood between England and defeat in the final test… and for that he loses 2 points.

4) Dinesh Kaarthik = 8.0/10….He doesn’t have the top average for the series, yet got his runs from the difficult/ untouchable opener’s slot and promised a much higher upside as a batsman in what should be a long and fruitful career. His exuberance of youth, good-natured willingness to do anything for the team was refreshing. Took some stunning slip / close-in catches…but will be remembered for the one he dropped.

5) RP Singh= 7.5/10…..Exceeded Expectations….and reassured us of the potential he exhibited on debut against Pak in tests and SL in ODIs…until he was guinea-pigged by Chappell and Frazer. RP’s strength is to produce burst of spells with some unplayable deliveries…especially ones that kick-off a length…..needs to learn to be consistent over multiple spells during a day.

6) Dhoni= 7.5/10….started shakily as a batter but finished solidly. I will remember him for his fearless demolition of English morale in T3 with his 92. Was neat behind the stumps….but looked super in perspective with Prior.

7) VVSL= 7.0/10…..Looked silken at times but like the entire top order couldn’t kick on. Comes back with reputation intact…one of India’s finest test match players and one of the best in the current team. In my opinion, he showed enough form to merit playing at #3 instead of Dravid.

8) Tendulkar = 6.0/10…..Looks better in highlight packages than in real time. He still has the strokes….but either doesn’t choose to use them for some mental cobwebs on self perceived notions of seniority/ responsibility OR more likely his body doesn’t sustain the aggressive strokeplay and eyes don’t have the same reflexes to the short one or sudden full and fast ones. However purely on experience and memories of better days got a couple of meaningful knock defying his body and eyes. He is not the bright light that will be knocked off one day suddenly…but one that will fade slowly.

9) Sreesanth= 6.0 /10..Didn’t live up to the expectations he had set for himself in SA….and yet did enough psych damage to the English camp in T2. And when he found his rhythm and swing and speed coming back …the series had ended. His aggression needs to be channelized and encouraged…..and not reprimanded down to seek good-manners.

10) Jaffer = 5.0/10…confirmed what most have seen in him…technically suspect and inconsistent. Yet the 5 marks that he gets are for stringing together some meaningful partnerships and setting platform for the middle order.

11) Dravid= 4.0/10….even the good opening stands didn’t help as he finished one of his worst series as a batsmen. Pressures of captaincy don’t give him a settled look…edgy like a cat on hot tin roof ….sinking lower with every series under the weight of captaincy. Would do well to swap spots with VVSL in the short term. While I wouldn’t forgive him for not enforcing follow-on and pulling draw from the jaws of a highly probable win…he gets all the 4 points for winning an overseas series in Eng. His brand of mild, consensual leadership in the short term gelled the old, the aggressive and the new boys coming out of the monstrous Chappell regime and hellfires of the World Cup debacle.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS

• Think you know your sport? Click here to try the Sportnetwork Prize Quizzes