India wrapped up a 4-1 Test series win over England with an innings victory at Dharamsala.
England threatened something historic with a spectacular comeback win at Hyderabad, and threatened at times elsewhere in the series, most notably at Ranchi, but ultimately India were too strong, continuing a spectacular record which has seen them win every home series they have played since the start of 2013.
But is that reflected in the best performers across both series? Here’s Wisden’s combined XI from the contest.
Wisden’s India-England team of the series – the selections
Yashasvi Jaiswal – India
712 runs at 89.00, 2 100s, HS: 214*
Two doubles and three half-centuries for India’s new batting sensation. Had England batted a bit better at Dharamsala, he’d have had a shot at the all-time India record for runs in a series.
Rohit Sharma – India
400 runs at 44.44, 2 100s, HS: 131
Rohit’s captaincy came in for criticism early in the series, but he and India held their nerve, and two tons were a reminder of his class in the format.
Shubman Gill – India
452 runs at 56.50, 2 100s, HS: 110
Two centuries, a 91, and a composed half-century to seal India’s Ranchi comeback. There had been a whisper over Gill’s capabilities after his Hyderabad failures, but those have now been dispensed with.
Joe Root – England
320 runs at 35.55, 1 100, HS: 122*
Root did not have an outstanding series, with his reverse-ramp dismissal at Rajkot summing up England’s wastefulness. But his century at Ranchi ranked highly, and while his other half-century in the final innings of the series was an exercise in futility, he did enough to edge himself in with a dearth of No.4 candidates from the opposition.
Sarfaraz Khan – India
200 runs at 50.00, HS: 68*
Sarfaraz came into the series amid much excitement, finally getting a chance after putting up obscene first-class numbers for years. Though none of his three half-centuries reached that figure, which now stands at 68.53, this was a promising start in the Test arena.
Ravindra Jadeja – India
232 runs at 38.66, 1 100, HS: 112
19 wickets at 25.05, 1 5WI, BBI: 5-41
Another stellar series for India’s home cheat code. A century and seven wickets at Rajkot made him Player of the Match in India’s biggest ever Test win.
Dhruv Jurel – India
190 runs at 63.33, HS: 90
It takes some performance to ensure the absence of Rishabh Pant isn’t too keenly felt. Jurel, in his debut series, was consummate behind the stumps and earned the Player of the Match award in the decisive victory at Rajkot, hauling India back into the game and then over the line.
R Ashwin – India
26 wickets at 24.80, 2 5WI, BBI: 5-51
India’s greatest matchwinner grew into the series, and by its end was all over England. He ended as the leading wicket-taker, and brought up the twin milestones of 100 Tests and 500 wickets during the series. That the latter came before the former underlines his impact.
Kuldeep Yadav – India
19 wickets at 20.15, 1 5WI, BBI: 5-72
A statement series, one to confirm that, after years of struggle, Kuldeep has arrived at the top level. The likeliest Ashwin successor India have, with a succession of crucial interventions and spells building to a match-winning five-for at Dharamsala.
Jasprit Bumrah – India
19 wickets at 16.89, 1 5WI, BBI: 6-45
The best fast bowler in the world, and on the evidence of this series, it’s not especially close. The standout spell came at Visakhapatnam, ripping the heart out of England’s middle-order with devastating reverse-swing to haul India back into the series.
James Anderson – England
10 wickets at 33.50, BBI: 3-47
Like Root, in the absence of an outstanding contribution across the series from an opposition player, Anderson gets in. As ever, he was unhittable and bowled beautifully at times. He reached 700 wickets on the final morning of the series. How many more will he take?
Wisden’s India-England team of the series – the line-up
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Rohit Sharma
- Shubman Gill
- Joe Root
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Dhruv Jurel (wk)
- R Ashwin
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Jasprit Bumrah
- James Anderson
