Indian batters fail to shine in the World Test Championship Final: Player ratings for India

It was another heartbreak for Indian cricket as Rohit Sharma & Co. lost the World Test Championship Final against Australia at The Oval, London. It was a one-sided affair from the first day of the game when ‘The Invincibles’ were off to a great start with the bat.

With Steven Smith and Travis Head scoring centuries, the Baggy Greens put up a mammoth total on the board with 469 runs. On the other hand, no one from the batting line-up looked comfortable apart from Ajinkya Rahane and Shardul Thakur as the duo helped India post 296 on the board.

The bowling from India was much better in the second innings but the game was already taken away at that moment as the Australians gave a challenging target of 444 to chase. There were some decent starts by the Indian players, however, no one capitalise their innings well as Team India lost the battle by 209 runs in the end.

Let us take a look at the performances of Indian players in the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final:

Top Order

Rohit Sharma (3.5/10): Skipper Rohit Sharma lost his first-ever final as captain this time. The right-hander has been a good leader for India but this time his decisions did not go India’s way. The Mumbaikar didn’t look comfortable in batting too as he could only score 15 and 43 in his two innings.

Though he got a start in the second innings, a poor shot selection ended his innings early. Being a big player, a cricketer like Rohit Sharma needs to step up when his team requires him the most.

Shubman Gill (3/10): Shubman Gill is a class player due to his positive approach while playing. However, the young gun needs to learn a lot while playing Test cricket. It is still early days for him in this format and he would grow from here for sure.

Gill made 13 in the first innings and got out on 18 in the second innings due to a controversial decision by the third umpire. It was Cameron Green’s phenomenal effort at the slips that sent Gill back to the pavilion. The right-hander expressed his disappointment over the dismissal but there was hardly anything that he could do.

Cheteshwar Pujara (3.5/10): Hopes were high for the Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara but he disappointed his fans by not scoring much in the final. Pujara had been in England for a while to practice for the big game, however, the right-hander couldn’t shine in the entire Test.

Pujara scored 14 runs in the first innings and 27 in the second innings which was not expected from such a quality player who has been playing county for a while now. The man from Saurashtra would like to forget this outing and get the best out of him at the next opportunity.

Middle Order

Virat Kohli could only score 14 & 49 runs in the WTC final held at The Oval

Virat Kohli (4/10): Virat Kohli has been one of India’s favourite batters for a long time now and in such games fans expect Kohli to fire and win it for India. This time, the Delhiite failed to live up to the expectations of his fans as he couldn’t even score a half-century in the all-important final.

Kohli played a crucial innings of 49 runs while chasing a mammoth target but got out playing a cover drive as Steve Smith completed a magnificent catch in the slips. Of course, there was a lack of determination seen as the team was chasing a big target but a player like Kohli should have taken the responsibility at this time.

Ajinkya Rahane (7/10): If there’s any batter who impressed in this WTC final, then it has to be Ajinkya Rahane as the Mumbaikar scored a vital 89 in the first innings followed by a tough 46 in the next innings. He played like a lone warrior for India but that is not how a team wins matches.

There was no support from the other end and Rahane couldn’t do much about it. He was back into the side after a period of 18 months and it seemed like he was never left out. Rahane’s batting was a big plus for India going forward. With these innings, he has undoubtedly earned his spot back into the team now.

Srikar Bharat (4/10): Srikar Bharat was another player who failed with the bat after just scoring 5 and 23 runs respectively, however, he kept well in both innings. Not much was expected from Bharat as even the big players failed to deliver in the swinging conditions of England.

Bharat would most likely retain his spot in the Test format due to his keeping but he has to perform well with the bat too if he wants to play for a long time.

All Rounders

Ravindra Jadeja (5.5/10): Ravindra Jadeja had an average outing in the WTC final with the ball as he picked up 4 wickets in the ball, out of which three came in the second innings.

Ravindra Jadeja scored a vital 48 in the first innings for Team India

The man from Saurashtra scored a quickfire 48 as well in the first innings which was appreciated by many as his intent was clear. He could have converted that innings into a big score but Nathan Lyon was at his best as always. Jadeja scored a duck in the second innings to almost end India’s hopes of winning the WTC final.

Shardul Thakur (4.5/10): Shardul Thakur was another player who impressed a bit with the bat because of his good knock of 51 in the first innings. He gave good support to Ajinkya Rahane that helped India post 296 on the board.

Shardul bowled well in the first innings by sending two set players of Australia in the form of David Warner and Steven Smith. However, he remained wicketless in the second innings and also got out for a duck while batting.

Bowlers

Umesh Yadav (3/10): With just two wickets in the entire game, Umesh was criticised by many for his poor line and length. He remained wicketless in the first innings but bowled some good deliveries in the second innings to get a couple of wickets.

Now, Umesh’s spot in the team would be another thought with the selectors with so many players ready to join the team in each format.

Mohammad Shami (4.5/10): Mohammad Shami picked up four wickets in the game, two each in both innings but a lot was expected from a player of his calibre. Shami is one of the finest seam bowlers in the world who bowl with an excellent seam position, however, it was not his Test this time.

Shami would surely improve from here as it was an experience to remember for him in the upcoming matches.

Mohammad Siraj (5.5/10): Mohammad Siraj bowled with a good line and length in this game and the result also went in his favour as he picked up five wickets for his side. Siraj has always learnt from the past and he is doing so even now.

The right-arm fast bowler would gain more experience when he plays more games outside India.