Indian players show character in a clean sweep against Bangladesh: Player Ratings for the visitors

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India won both matches against Bangladesh

India almost sealed their place in the ICC 2021-23 World Test Championship final, as they completed a 2-0 clean sweep in the recently concluded Test series against Bangladesh. Despite missing regular skipper Rohit Sharma, the men in blue did well to overcome difficulties in adjusting to tricky pitches.

Let us check out the report card of the Indian players:

Top Order

KL Rahul (3/10): KL Rahul might have overseen a clean sweep as the skipper, but he will be disappointed with his returns with the bat. The opening batter scored only 57 runs in the two matches at an average of 14.25 and a strike rate of 33.92.

Rahul scored 22 runs in the first innings of the first Test, before scoring a run more in the second innings. But the second Test was a nightmare, with the batter scoring only 10 runs in the first innings before getting dismissed for 2 in the second.

Shubman Gill (8/10): Shubman Gill is proving to be one of India’s most reliable batters in the Test format. He was the third-highest run-scorer for his team this season, having scored 157 runs in two matches at an average of 39.25.

The 23-year-old scored 20 runs in the first Test’s first innings, but the best performance came in the second innings, where he struck a century. The second Test, however, did not go as planned as he could only score 27 runs across the two innings.

Cheteshwar Pujara (9/10): Cheteshwar Pujara was adjudged the player of the series, as he proved why he is regarded as one of the best Test batters of his generation. The 34-year-old scored 222 runs in two matches at an average of 74 in this series.

Cheteshwar Pujara was adjudged the player of the series

Cheteshwar Pujara was adjudged the player of the series

The first Test was when Pujara was seen at his best, as he scored 90 runs in the first innings and then followed it up with a fantastic century. In the second match, Pujara could only score 30 runs across both innings.

Middle Order

Virat Kohli (2/10): Virat Kohli might have had a year to remember as far as his form in limited overs is concerned, but the former Indian skipper will still be hoping to regain his lost touch in Test cricket. This series was nothing more than an opportunity wasted for him, as Kohli scored only 45 runs at an average of 15.

After being dismissed for only one run in the first Test’s first innings, he scored 19 runs in the second innings. The first innings of the second Test saw him scoring 24 runs before Kohli was once again dismissed for one run.

Rishabh Pant (9/10): Rishabh Pant’s case is a weird one. The swashbuckling left-handed batter might be struggling to find his footing in the shorter formats of the game, but when it comes to Test cricket, he proves to be unstoppable more often than not.

This series saw him scoring 148 runs in two matches at an average of 49.33. In his lone innings in the first Test, Pant scored 46 runs, before playing a sensational knock of 93 runs in the first innings of the second Test.

Shreyas Iyer (9/10): Like Pant, Shreyas Iyer is also proving to be one of India’s best performers in the longest format of the game. He was the team’s second-highest run-scorer this series, having scored 202 runs in two matches at an average of 101.

Iyer scored 86 runs in his only innings in the first Test, but his performance in the second Test was even better. Having scored 87 runs in the first innings, the 28-year-old scored a match-winning unbeaten 29 in the last innings.

All-rounders

Besides his impressive bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin also played match-winning knocks with the bat

Besides his impressive bowling, Ravichandran Ashwin also played match-winning knocks with the bat

Ravichandran Ashwin (10/10): Ravichandran Ashwin, just like Axar, was highly effective with his all-round skills. He scored 112 runs at an average of 56, while he also picked up 7 wickets, which includes a four-wicket haul.

The 36-year-old scored 58 runs and picked up a wicket in the first Test at Chattogram. In the second Test, he picked up 6 wickets and scored 54 runs, including a match-winning 42 not out in the second innings.

Axar Patel (9/10): Axar Patel had a rewarding time in this series, as he contributed both with the bat and the ball. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker for India with 8 wickets to his name, and also scored 52 runs at an average of 17.33.

The all-rounder from Gujarat scored 14 runs and picked up five wickets in the first Test. While he could only pick up three wickets in the second Test, Axar made up for it by scoring crucial 38 runs across both innings.

Bowlers

Kuldeep Yadav (9/10): Kuldeep Yadav might feel hard done after his series, as he became a victim of team combination. He played only one match – the first Test at Chattogram and was adjudged the man of the match for picking up 8 wickets.

In the first innings, he picked up a five-wicket haul by conceding 40 runs. Then in the second innings, Kuldeep added three more wickets to his tally. Beyond his numbers with the ball, the 28-year-old was also effective with the bat, scoring 40 runs.

Jaydev Unadkat (6/10): Jaydev Unadkat’s story in international cricket might make a great movie script, as he played his second Test match more than a decade after playing his first. He picked up 3 wickets in the only match that he played, with his bowling average being 22.33.

Unadkat picked up the wickets of Zakir Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim in the first innings, conceding 50 runs in the process. In the second innings, he got the crucial wicket of Bangladesh’s skipper, Shakib Al Hasan.

Umesh Yadav (7/10): Umesh Yadav might have cemented his place in the Indian Test team with his performance in this series. The pacer picked up 7 wickets in 2 matches, with his bowling average being only 16.71.

The 35-year-old picked up 2 wickets in the first Test, but his performance in the second Test was much better as he picked up five wickets – including a four-wicket haul in the first innings. Moreover, Yadav also scored 29 runs.

Mohammed Siraj (6/10): Mohammed Siraj might not be totally happy with his performance in this series, as, among those Indian bowlers who featured in both matches, the pacer picked up the least number of wickets – six.

The 28-year-old picked up 4 wickets in the first Test but did not turn up on the spinning track at Mirpur. Having failed to be among wickets in the first innings, he could only add 2 wickets to his name in the second innings.

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