The first time Mohammed Siraj carried India’s bowling on his tireless back, India breached the Gabba fortress in 2021. Books were written, documentaries were made and heroes were etched in stone. Four years later, Siraj stepped up once again, bowling unrelentingly in all five Tests and ending the series in England with a bowling performance for the ages..
The tour ended in a 2-2 draw, but was the most thrilling encounter since the one in Australia during the pandemic.
A look at the performances of Shubman Gill’s men in an enthralling see-sawing English summer:
SHUBMAN GILL 9.5/10
Though he had a modest overseas record, and was in his first series as captain, Gill quelled concerns of how he would handle the twin responsibility. He scored 754 sublime runs with four centuries; only Don Bradman, with 810, has more as captain in a series.
As captain, Gill began a trifle uncertainly, but grew in authority and tactical acumen with every session. He was at his best in the melodramatic 56 minutes on the last day of the series at the Oval.
K.L. RAHUL 8.5/10
Had a plum series with 532 runs, his best at this level. His technical finesse and unruffled approach consistently stymied the efforts of the English pacers to hustle through India’s top order, allowing the middle order to flourish. Barring the odd blemish, he was superb in the slips and was Gill’s go-to man for advice.
YASHASVI JAISWAL 7.5/10
The swashbuckling opener began the series with a searing century, went through a slump by chancing his arm too early, but made a timely return to form. He scored a controlled, critical century in the last Test to set England a target that would be just out of their reach. Topped 350 runs in a series for the third time. Excitability, leading to fielding errors, is something he needs to guard against.
SAI SUDHARSAN 5.5/10
Couldn’t take his IPL form into the series. Different format and vastly different conditions put the young left-hander to test. A well-crafted half century showed pedigree, but he seemed to lose concentration repeatedly when well set. Just 140 runs in three Tests leaves his spot vulnerable, with several claimants snapping at his heels.
KARUN NAIR 4/10
Like Sai, he couldn’t make much of the opportunities he got. His tally of 205 runs in eight innings was meagre for a batter with rich first-class experience. He couldn’t match the relentless run-making in domestic cricket that had brought him back into the national team. His Test future hangs at the mercy of the selectors.
RISHABH PANT 8.5/10
Inventive, instinctive and irrepressible, Pant made centuries in both innings of the first Test, and had five scores of 50-plus in seven innings before fracturing his foot. Till then, his high-risk approach, which unfailingly has critics and fans on their seat’s edge, had posed the biggest threat to England’s bowlers. While keeping, he kept errors to a minimum.
RAVINDRA JADEJA 8.5/10
On flat pitches, his bowling edge was considerably blunted. But Jadeja rose to great heights as a batter to vindicate his status as the game’s best all-rounder currently. His 516 runs included a gripping knock that almost won India the Lord’s Test from a near-impossible situation. He followed this up with a battling century at Old Trafford, which helped India avoid certain defeat. As always, he was brilliant in the field.
WASHINGTON SUNDAR 7.5/10
Not part of the first Test, the rangy all-rounder was a contentious choice for the second. Most experts argued for the specialist Kuldeep Yadav as second spinner. With India opting to strengthen the batting, Sundar held on to his place for the rest of the series, justifying his selection with versatile batting. He stone-walled for a century to save the Old Trafford Test and made an explosive half century at the Oval with the tail-enders.
NITISH KUMAR REDDY 6/10
Didn’t make the same impact he had in Australia, but showed that his all-round ability has good potential. His seam-up bowling, making good use of the conditions, was controlled and probing. With the bat, he was willing to work hard in the middle. An injury during net practice meant he could play only two Tests.
SHARDUL THAKUR 2.5/10
Ability to swing and seam the ball in English conditions, a ‘golden arm’ that could get a wicket at any stage, and robust late-order batting made him an 11th hour inclusion in the squad. He got two matches, but didn’t do much in any of these aspects. He lost his place and, given his age (33), faces an uncertain future in Tests.
AKASH DEEP 7.5/10
Bowled brilliantly at Edgbaston in tandem with Mohammed Siraj to help India level the series after the first loss. The 10-wicket haul on a flat wicket was a monumental effort. An unexpected injury kept him out for a while, but he returned for the final Test in which he had a star turn with the bat, making a rollicking half century as nightwatchman.
JASPRIT BUMRAH 7.5/10
As the world’s best fast bowler, Bumrah was the team’s pivotal figure heading into the series. He took a five-wicket haul at Headingley, another at Lord’s. However, India lost both times. A pre-determined workload commitment of three Tests kept him away from the second and fifth ones, with India ironically winning both. At full tilt, he was the most dangerous bowler from either side. By the end of the series, India were left searching for a formula that would make his participation smooth rather than staccato.
PRASIDH KRISHNA 7.5/10
Discarded for wayward, inconsistent bowling after playing the first two matches, he was a last-minute pick for the last Test over Arshdeep Singh, who had recovered from injury and looked certain to make his Test debut. It turned out to be an inspired selection.
In the heart-stopping thriller, Krishna teamed up with the sizzling Siraj to pick up eight wickets. He bowled daunting lines and lengths with pace and skill. Better consistency would make him indispensable.
MOHAMMED SIRAJ 9.5/10
Long under Bumrah and Mohammed Shami’s shadow, Siraj came into his own and played the decisive role in India squaring the series. In Bumrah’s absence, he took on the leadership of the attack, bowling heroic long spells without complaint, and picked up vital wickets when it mattered most. Apart from zeal, aggression, commitment and self-belief, he also revealed a growing repertoire of skills that troubled England’s best batters. His bowling on the last morning of the fifth Test is now part of cricket lore.
Dhruv Jurel and Anshul Kamboj featured in only one Test; Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhimanyu Easwaran, N. Jagadeesan and Harshit Rana did not play a match.