England vs India 2018, 3rd Test: Rating the Indian Players
Back against the wall, India played out a perfect game; Batting clicked, Bowlers continued their good work and most importantly were ably supported by the slip fielders. It was the kind of performance which will definitely boost the confidence of Virat Kohli's men going forward in the series and give them the belief that they can still win the series. With visitors making it 1-2 after thrashing England by 209 runs, let us take a look at player ratings for Indian players in the match:
INDIA
#1 Shikhar Dhawan (6.5/10)
Making his comeback into the side in place of struggling Murli Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan had a lot of pressure to deliver. Albeit, he didn't score big, he managed to give India a solid start and seeing off the new ball having scored 35 runs off 65 balls.
In the second innings as well, Dhawan gave India just the kind of start that was required to consolidate the lead over the hosts and Dhawan did just that scoring 44 off 63 balls.
However, his failure to convert his start into a big knock see his points being deducted. Thus, he gets a six and a half.
#2 KL Rahul (6/10)
Rahul looked streaky, to say the least, in both the innings. But, he hung in there and should have capitalized on the starts, scoring 23 runs off 53 deliveries in the first innings & 36 runs off 33 balls in the second. However, just the way in the last two tests, he was unable to convert his start into big innings which India desperately wants from its openers.
In the field, considering India's woeful slip catching, his seven catches standing in the second slip definitely earns him a bonus point (5+1).
#3 Cheteshwar Pujara (7/10)
Pujara will definitely not like to remember the first innings of the match having committed mistakes which could have dearly cost India.
Firstly, wasting India's one review by asking Rahul to use it when the ball struck plumb in front, then got out cheaply for 14 playing an irresponsible shot with India's score reading 82-3. Then, during England's first innings dropping Alastair Cook standing in the first slip.
However, Pujara did make amends in the second innings scoring 72 runs off 208 deliveries and being involved in two crucial partnerships, first with Dhawan (51 runs) and later on with Kohli (113 runs).
He will be disappointed to miss out on a hundred but relieved at the same time for getting back into form which should keep him in good stead with two more matches to come.
#4 Virat Kohli (9.5/10)
Kohli was tested early in the innings with quite a lot of misses, edges, surviving reviews, but unlike openers, he was able to convert his start into a big score in both the innings.
He scored 97 runs in the first innings which helped India to reach a par score and bettered the effort in the second innings by scoring a masterful 103 runs (his 23rd century overall), thereby, taking his team to a position from where losing was close to impossible.
Even in the field, his placements were generally good and also, he rotated his bowlers well. To round off a complete performance.
Kohli took a blinder at third slip to send Ollie Pope packing in the fourth innings. The only miss he had in the entire match was a dropping a regulation catch standing at third slip which could have finished the game in the fourth Day itself. Thus, earning a 9.5.