IND vs SA | Rohit Sharma's 9/10 leads the way as Indian players make merry
BCCI
India had a domineering beginning to their home season by whitewashing South Africa in the Freedom Series. While Rohit Sharma, for obvious reasons, emerged as the leader of the pack in the rating chart, Ishant Sharma had a lowly rating, justifying the difficulties that he had faced in the series.
Mayank Agarwal (8.5/10): With 340 runs from four innings, Mayank Agarwal stamped his authority at home, after a scourge of ugly runs away from home since his debut. That he could bat was never in doubt, but Agarwal’s persistence to dig in there when the ball was doing its bit revealed his character. He must be kicking himself for being undone by a regulation delivery in Pune, but he had already crossed the 100+ score during that moment which balances things out. It was a true blue moment for the Indian cricket that a guy is not fazed by the surroundings and wants to make the most of the opportunity that he has got. I am ought to give him a fair rating here.
Rohit Sharma (9/10): There were a lot of questions surrounding his promotions to the opening role in Test cricket, but when he got the bat in hand, runs started flowing like there was no tomorrow. Rohit was in the zone, and never in the mood to let go of what has made him the darling of the masses in white-ball cricket. The sojourn that started in Vizag, with a 303-run game, had touched another pinnacle in Ranchi when he raced to his first double century in Test cricket. Easily, miles above the rest in the Indian team, and of course, light-years ahead of his African opponents who turned up this series.
Cheteshwar Pujara (6/10): One of India’s major architects of the unparalleled home dominance, it was a surprise that Cheteshwar Pujara was blowing hot and cold in the entire South Africa series. A couple of scores of 81 and 58 were accompanied by scores like 6 and 0, and although it didn’t create a heavy problem for an already batting heavy line-up, India would definitely want Pujara to pull up his socks in the Bangladesh series.Â
Virat Kohli (8/10): Words fell short to describe the Indian skipper’s masterclass in Pune as the unbeaten 254 was built on the virtue of a single-minded focus and determination, but the dismissal in the Ranchi Test somehow took the spotlight away from him. That, however, could do only that much as the No.2 Test batsman in the world showcased the gulf between him and the rest of the chasing pack with his authoritative captaincy. He was head and shoulders above his African counterpart while utilising his resources, and for Kohli, I would go with an 8.Â
Ajinkya Rahane (8.5/10): It was not the Rahane that would huff and puff while facing the spinners, or would succumb to the curse of mid-wicket against the medium-fast bowlers on flat Indian conditions. The Rahane that was on show against South Africa was a counter-attacking Rahane, no more within the shell, and very much addicted to giving it back on the face. 216 runs at an average of 72 in the series, Rahane was a sight to watch in the series, and honestly, it was refreshing to see him bat the way he did.
Hanuma Vihari (4/10): After a string of solid shows away from home, Hanuma Vihari must have fancied a longer rope in home conditions, something that suits his style of batting, but the cruel twist of luck saw him playing only the first Test. A minuscule score of 10 runs in Vizag didn’t really help the cause in the next two Tests, as India added an extra pacer, but there is little reason for Vihari to lose his patience.Â
Wriddhiman Saha (7.5/10): In a world full of flashy superstars, Wriddhiman Saha is the ultimate hero for being the exception from the norm. While the world stood up against him, citing Rishabh Pant’s superior batting record, Saha showed what he's got with the kind of keeping that was brilliant, to say the least. His stunning reflex was the kind of performance for which he had always been rated highly, and what a way to grab the spotlight, again, that he richly deserves. With this batting line-up at the disposal, does it matter if he can bat or not?
Rishabh Pant (3/10): It was the cameo performance that brought Rishabh Pant to the fore in this story, and maybe for worse, as it was not something that he would have liked. When Wriddhiman Saha was hit on his thumb, Pant took the field to replace him behind the wicket, but his performance was far from convincing. He conceded two byes and one stumping chance went begging which justifies his low ranking here.
Ravindra Jadeja (8.5/10): His bowling in Indian conditions is a proven denominator, but for me, this series was about the maturity with which Ravindra Jadeja batted in the series. It told a different story that Jadeja, who had never taken his batting seriously enough despite having two triple centuries in domestic cricket, played with authority on his way to 30*, 40, 91, and 51 in the four innings he batted. That he had 13 wickets to his name added to the narrative, but the coming of age in his batting to become a pure all-rounder forced me to give an 8.5.
Ravichandran Ashwin (7/10): That the off-spinner still managed to have 15 wickets in the series, despite having a bad match in Ranchi, tells you Ravichandran Ashwin’s impact and of course, the team’s expectations on him. The comeback match in which he had a first-innings seven-for added to his legacy as one of the world’s all-time greatest spinners, something that would have released the monkey off his back. However, with great reputation comes great responsibility, and India would certainly have taken a better performance too.
Shahbaz Nadeem (6.5/10): After years of toil in domestic cricket, Nadeem couldn’t have asked for a better place than making his debut at his home venue of Ranchi. It was as if the stars aligned for him as he made an instant impact too, scalping four wickets in the match, and made a case for himself to be considered for Bangladesh Tests. Fairytale? Well.Â
Umesh Yadav (8.5/10): What is it about the Indian pitches that brings the best out of Umesh Yadav? It might be, as Kohli said, from the attacking lines he bowls, and his fitness which allows him to come back to do the same thing time and time again. His ability to hold the line was a lesson in itself, something that resulted in South Africa suffering the wrath of playing across the line. An excellent way to remind the world of his presence.
Mohammed Shami (8/10): Ditto for Shami. While Umesh had taken the limelight in the second and third Test, Shami’s brilliance in the second innings in all three Tests had a distinct pattern to it. He extracted reverse swing, managed to move the ball late, and his ripping bouncers made South Africa suffer to no end. He might be an erratic performer at times, but you could hardly add that tag to him in this series.
Ishant Sharma (3/10): If there is one player who didn’t really have an impact in the series, it has to be Ishant Sharma. Despite his evolution to be one of the most talked-about stories in recent times, he was wayward in home conditions, and maybe for the better, he was dropped for the final Test. Well, being harsh on him in the face of such a dominating performance by the team might not be the right call, but hell yeah, he would like to do better too.Â
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