From Jennings’ breakthrough to Duckett’s demise, ESPNcricinfo runs the rule over England’s players during their 4-0 series loss in India
George Dobell in Chennai21-Dec-20163:04
Trott: Spin is the issue for England, not captaincy
7.5Haseeb Hameed
The figures may be relatively modest, but the overall impression was not. Hameed, with his composure, his technique and his passion, made a terrific impression in his first three matches. In his first match he registered the highest score (82) by an England teenager – he sacrificed his chances of a debut century in an attempt to set up the declaration – and then made an unbeaten 59 in Mohali despite batting with an improvised technique and badly broken finger. Bearing in mind that several of his dismissals were unfortunate – he was run out in the first innings in Vizag having been sent back by Root, then trapped by a shooter in the second before, in the first innings in Mohali, receiving one which reared off a length – he is far from flattered by his figures. These are early days, but he did provide hope that England have finally found an opening partner for Cook.7Ben Stokes (five Tests, 8 wickets at 44.62, 345 runs at 38.33)
A century in Rajkot and a 70 in Vizag demonstrated Stokes’ improvement against spin bowling. While he had diminishing success as a batsman for the rest of the series – he struggled to read Ashwin’s flight, in particular – he contributed as a seamer and as a ubiquitous fielder. Despite a relative absence of reverse swing – England gained much less than they anticipated – he was the only England bowler to take a five-for in the series and generated impressive hostility despite the slow surfaces. Sparingly used by Cook who called him England’s “golden player”. It’s hard to disagree.Stuart Broad (three Tests, 8 wickets at 31.00, 44 runs at 11.00)
Had a point to prove in India and, despite injury, he largely did so. Bowled with spirit and skill on pitches offering him little, with his best performance coming in the second innings in Vizag. Despite having sustained a foot injury in the opening moments of India’s first innings, he bowled a long spell in the second innings to finish with 4 for 33. Sorely missed in the next two Tests, he returned in Chennai and again looked the best of England’s seamers. Compensating for a lack of swing with his control and changes of pace, his leg-cutter troubled the best and he bowled more maidens than any other England player.Joe Root (five Tests, 2 wickets at 28.50, 491 at 49.10)
Top of the batting and bowling averages and England’s top run-scorer in the series with fifty, at least, in every match. Looked in sublime form at times but will have learned that it is 100s (and 200s) that win matches. His 70s and 80s, though admirable, are not quite enough, either for this team or if he is to be rated the best in the world.6.5Keaton Jennings (two Tests, 167 runs at 41.75)
But for a dropped catch early in his first innings, Jennings might have started his Test career with scores of 0, 0 and 1. But, having survived that early chance in his first innings, he batted with great composure in registering a century on debut and then produced a half-century under pressure, both from an individual and team perspective, in his final innings of the series. Might well have done enough to retain a place somewhere in the top three when Hameed returns. Decent support seamer and fielder, too, and looked at home at this level and in the England environment.Haseeb Hameed was England’s find of a chastening winter•Associated Press6Adil Rashid (five Tests, 23 wickets at 37.43, 113 runs at 14.12)
No England legspinner has taken more wickets in a series than Rashid managed here and only Richie Benaud has taken more as a visiting legspinner to India. Which all sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? But by the end of the series, Cook once again looked reluctant to trust Rashid and the preponderance of loose deliveries remains an issue. It was noticeable that, after a disappointing series in Bangladesh, he improved notably when Saqlain Mushtaq was with the squad (for the first three Tests in India) and that his performance dipped once Saqlain departed. Still, Bayliss remarked that he had been England’s “best spinner” after the first three Tests and, with a half-century at Chennai adding to his wickets, he may be pushing Moeen for his place by the time England resume Test cricket.Jonny Bairstow (five Tests, 352 runs at 44, 11 catches and 2 stumpings)
Passed fifty three times (and had two scores in the 40s, too) without ever going on to make a match-defining contribution. Looked as comfortable as anyone against the spin and seems to have progressed up the order to the extent where No. 5 is set to be his long-term home. While there was some trepidation over how he would fare as a keeper, he showed impressive improvement standing up to the spinners. Inevitably, as India’s innings stretched to days at a time, a few errors crept in, but this was a vast improvement from his performance with the gloves in South Africa.5.5Moeen Ali (five Tests, 10 wickets at 64.90, 381 runs at 42.33)
How do you judge Moeen Ali? As a batsman he was fitfully brilliant, as a bowler he struggled. After seven wickets in the first two Tests, he claimed just three more in the remaining three. He bowled, on the whole, just about as well as he can, but found India’s batsmen more than his equal. With the bat, he contributed two centuries and a fifty but his tour was perhaps summed up by his final innings: having resisted for 97 balls to all but shut the door on India, he then drove to mid-on to allow them back in the game. It was an infuriatingly soft dismissal from someone trying to establish themselves in the top six. Australia and South Africa will have noted his discomfort against the short ball, too.Jos Buttler
A qualified success as a replacement for Zafar Ansari. With an unbeaten half-century in his maiden innings, Dawson was part of a rescue mission that helped England register a competitive first-innings score in Chennai. He was then the most economical of England’s three spinners to help delay India’s reply. It was a decent first impression and it’s not at all impossible that, if England reason they want a defensive spinner who can bat, Dawson’s name features heavily in future selection meetings.4James Anderson (three Tests, 4 wickets at 53.50, 20 runs at 5)
Deserves credit for his determination to join the tour as early as possible after a serious shoulder injury, but was unable to repeat the success of 2012 when he was memorably described as “the difference between the sides” by MS Dhoni. While he claimed four wickets in Vizag, he was rarely able to gain much swing – either conventional or reverse – and, with his pace diminishing with the passing years, rarely troubled India’s batsmen. Missed the final Test as a precaution, which underlined both his on-going importance to England and his increasing fragility. He has now missed eight of England’s 23 most recent Tests.Alastair Cook looked tentative against spin and was dismissed six times by Ravindra Jadeja•Associated PressJake Ball (two Tests, 1 wicket at 111, 45 runs at 11.25)
Called into the side as one of four seamers for the Mumbai Test, Ball was favoured to Woakes and Stokes by Cook at times in that match and was more economical than either of them. Retained his place for Chennai ahead of Woakes but rarely threatened in conditions offering him nothing. A couple of dropped chances did him no favours. While he may need to develop some more skills to succeed in such circumstances, he looks a bowler with a lot going for him and could well feature more in England and Australia. Contributed a surprising 31 in Mumbai, too.3Chris Woakes (three Tests, 3 wickets at 81.33, 70 runs at 14)
A disappointing end to a breakthrough year. Woakes impressed with his pace in Rajkot but could not generate enough movement with the ball to concern good batsmen and, by the end of the series, had slipped behind Jake Ball in selection. Batted nicely in Mohali, but was undone by a couple of fine bouncers by Mohammed Shami, the second of which both dismissed him and caused a small crack in his thumb.Zafar Ansari (two Tests, 3 wickets at 54.33, 36 runs at 12)
There may be some mitigation for Ansari’s less-than-flattering figures in the series. He was suffering from both illness and injury in Vizag (where he scored four runs in two innings and finished wicketless) and was subsequently forced home early. Bowled respectably on a flat wicket in Rajkot, finishing with three wickets in the match, but rarely looked threatening and looked as if he had some developing to do before he could be considered part of the answer to England’s spin bowling problems.1Ben Duckett (two Tests, 18 runs at 6)
An episode that emphasised the chasm that exists between Division Two of the County Championship and Test cricket. Duckett was dismissed by Ashwin’s offspin in all three innings. In the first two, he was punished for planting his front foot on leg stump and beaten by sharp turn. In the final one he snatched at a sweep and was caught off glove and thigh by the keeper. Taken out of the firing line to allow him to work on his game, he has the talent and the time to come again, but this was a chastening early experience.N/AGareth Batty (one Test, 0 wickets for 65 runs, 1 run at 0.5)
There was to be no fairy-tale return to international cricket from Batty. He didn’t bowl badly in Mohali, but he did look superfluous alongside another offspinner in Moeen and England favoured the variety of a left-arm spinner at other times. Harsh to judge him on such limited opportunity.
