Marks out of 10: Player ratings for India after their 2-1 series win over Australia

Rohit Sharma – 7.5/10

4 Tests, 242 runs @ 40.33, 1 100, HS: 120

A difficult Nagpur pitch couldn’t bother Rohit Sharma in the opener, as he effortlessly navigated his way to the series’ first century. Matthew Hayden later rated it as the knock of the tour. A couple of thirties followed in Delhi, but he couldn’t capitalise on a good start in Ahmedabad with the platform set, falling for a soft dismissal. As captain, he looked out of sorts in Indore but pulled himself back in time to clinch the series.

Shubman Gill – 7.5/10

2 Tests, 154 runs @ 51.33, 1 100, HS: 128

Why was he on the bench? When India’s patience finally ran out with KL Rahul, Gill slotted in at the top and is likely to be there for years. His 21 in the first Indore innings was India’s second-highest score, but it was in Ahmedabad that Gill truly stood tall. A commanding first home century to blank out the visitors gave a peek into the future.

KL Rahul – 2/10

2 Tests, 38 runs @ 12.66, HS: 20

Rahul came into the series low on runs, and only extended the poor patch. Despite the captain and coach voicing their support for him, Rahul was eventually dropped midway through the series, having collected a best of 20 in three innings.

Cheteshwar Pujara – 5.5/10

4 Tests, 140 runs @ 28.00, 1 50, HS: 59

A landmark 100th Test, the fourth Indian to clock 2,000 Test runs against Australia, and the only half-centurion from his team in Indore: Pujara’s series had the odd highlight, but couldn’t become a lasting memory. Unlike India-Australia Tests of the past, Pujara’s battle to survive didn’t fetch him big runs. It ended up being an average series.

Virat Kohli – 7/10

4 Tests, 297 runs @ 49.50, 1 100, HS: 186

The monkey is off his back. A Test half-century after 14 months [and a century after 40] brought him back among the runs, and he dug in to convert it into a big one. It had all the elements of a Kohli classic, but a more silent, steady touch to it. It must be a soothing change: Kohli did look good in patches across the series, but never built up to a substantial score until the last.

Shreyas Iyer – 3/10

3 Tests, 42 runs @ 10.50, HS: 26

Before his first dismissal in Delhi, Shreyas hadn’t yet been dismissed in single digits in Tests, and had a century and five fifties in an impressive career start. Fit again, he was drafted in for the second Test, but barring a couple of resolute twenties, did not stand out in the team’s collective batting failures. When an easier surface came in Ahmedabad, Iyer’s injury resurfaced.

Suryakumar Yadav – 2/10

1 Test, 8 runs @ 8.00, HS: 8

A brief appearance in the series. Surya’s much-awaited Test debut came in Nagpur, but when Shreyas Iyer returned, he could not hold onto the place any longer. A 20-ball 8 before he was bowled by a Nathan Lyon ripper is not enough to judge his Test potential.

Ravindra Jadeja – 8/10

4 Tests, 22 wickets @ 18.86, 2 five-fors, BBI: 7-42

Playing a Test series for the first time in a year, Jadeja cracked a commanding 70 to show just what the team had been missing. He ran through Australia in their astonishing Delhi collapse, and barring his repeated no-balls, kept handing India chances through the series. A shared Player of the Series award with R Ashwin only seems fair.

R Ashwin – 8/10

4 Tests, 25 wickets @ 17.28, 2 five-fors, BBI: 6-91

The other half of India’s spin domination, Ashwin finished with the most wickets from either side. On the way, he also went past Anil Kumble’s tally for a Border-Gavaskar Trophy record and inched closer to the 500-wicket mark. His dogged innings of 37 in Delhi in a key partnership with Axar pulled India through, just like he has in the past.

Axar Patel – 7.5/10

4 Tests, 264 runs @ 88.00, HS: 84, 3 wickets @ 62.00, BBI: 1-6

Axar thrived where others struggled. On spitting turners, he was able to provide India invaluable runs down the order, trusting his defence and having a good understanding of standing back or going forward in the crease. The bursts of attack kept the game moving. Had a limited bowling role to play as India relied heavily on Ashwin-Jadeja.

KS Bharat – 5/10

4 Tests, 101 runs @ 20.20, HS: 44; 7 catches, 1 stumping

He walked in with big boots to fill. There was good and bad both: keeping against spinners in India can’t be easy, but he did his job. An embarrassing drop of Travis Head in Ahmedabad put the scanner on him, but he did decently with the bat after a string of low scores, giving Kohli company with a punchy knock in the last game.

Mohammed Shami – 7.5/10

3 Tests, 9 wickets @ 28.22, BBI: 4-60

The best fast bowler from both sides. Shami really put in his all, keeping tight channels with the new ball, and was difficult to get away with when the old ball was reversing (ask Peter Handscomb, whose off stump went flying in Ahmedabad). In Jasprit Bumrah’s absence, he’s easily the unofficial spearhead.

Umesh Yadav – 4/10

2 Tests, 3 wickets @ 49.33, BBI: 3-12

Good in parts, especially in Indore, but also struggled for rhythm and consistency in Ahmedabad. He’s clearly lost some pace. And while he looked in fine form with the old ball, he also leaked runs with loose lines in the last game, and didn’t really target the batters with short balls, feeding them full ones to score from.

Mohammed Siraj – 3/10

3 Tests, 1 wicket @ 73.00, BBI: 1-30

OK in patches, but couldn’t really provide a whole lot of support. After three Tests, he only managed to bag one wicket, uncharacteristic of a quick known to be incisive with the new ball.

Note: Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat and Ishan Kishan did not get a game.