India playing XI's report card for the 3rd Test against England
A Man of the Match performance from Axar Patel on his home ground led India to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over England in the 3rd Test.
With the win, the hosts took a 2-1 lead in the 4-match series. India now need either a draw or a win in the last match to make the final of the World Test Championship while England have been ruled out of contention for the event, which is scheduled to take place later this year at Lord's.
Here are the Indian player ratings from the 3rd Test against England in Ahmedabad.
IND v ENG 2021, 3rd Test: India Playing XI's Report Card
Rohit Sharma: 8.5/10
Rohit was the most comfortable Indian batsman on the difficult pitch as he notched up scores of 66 and 25*. He also started off proceedings by taking a regulation catch at second slip to hand Ishant Sharma his only wicket in his 100th Test.
Shubman Gill: 4/10
Gill played an extremely rash pull in the first innings to be the only Indian batsman dismissed by pace. The youngster was unbeaten on 15 in the run-chase, but he needs to be more judicious with his shot-making.
Cheteshwar Pujara: 2/10
This was a poor game for Pujara, who was one of the many batsmen to fall to an arm ball from a left-arm spinner. The No. 3 bagged a 4-ball blob and didn't get to bat in the second innings, but took a good catch at second slip to dismiss Jack Leach.
Virat Kohli: 5/10
Kohli looked assured during his 58-ball stay at the crease, but an ill-advised cut brought about his downfall for 27. The Indian skipper's conversion rate and failure to notch up big scores are certainly areas of concern for the team, but his captaincy seems to be markedly improving.
Ajinkya Rahane: 3/10
Rahane was safe in the slips, but his tendency to hang on the backfoot to the spinners once again saw him dismissed for a cheap score. The Indian Test vice-captain has struggled at home, especially on turners, and needs a big score in the immediate future..
Rishabh Pant: 3/10
Pant managed only 1 run before feathering a drive to opposite number Ben Foakes off Joe Root. He had a quiet game behind the stumps with the Indian spinners targeting the stumps, but did well whenever called upon.
Ravichandran Ashwin: 8.5/10
Ashwin was outbowled by his spin partner Axar Patel, but he scalped 7 wickets in the match with smart thinking and clear plans. The off-spinner became the second-fastest bowler to reach 400 Test wickets, and contributed a handy 17 runs in the first innings. On a lighter note, Ashwin's pleas for reviews need to be taken with a massive heap of salt.
Washington Sundar: 4.5/10
Added in the team due to his ability with the bat, Sundar didn't trouble the scorers. He saw his stumps disturbed by a beauty from Joe Root, and wasn't required with the ball for the most part. When the off-spinner was brought on, he sent back James Anderson to bring the second England innings to a close.
Axar Patel: 9/10
By far the most threatening bowler on display across both sides, Axar had a field day at his home ground. Scalping 11 wickets in only his second Test and his third consecutive innings 5-for, the left-arm spinner was next to unplayable with his pace variations and arm balls. He doesn't get a perfect rating as he attempted a careless loft to be dismissed second-ball.
Ishant Sharma: 7/10
The second Indian pacer to reach the landmark of 100 Tests, Ishant kicked things off at the Narendra Modi Stadium by dismissing Dom Sibley for a duck. The veteran speedster bowled only 5 overs, but hit a gorgeous six over the long-off boundary to make his landmark match a memorable one.
Jasprit Bumrah: 6/10
Bumrah didn't have a role to play in this game and bowled only 6 overs. He took a good catch in the deep and hung around for 12 balls, but that was it for India's ace speedster.