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India Vs Australia: Report card of Virat Kohli and Team India in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Here's how every member in the Indian cricket team performed in the Test series against Australia.

New Delhi, March 30: Team India defeated Australia by 2-1 to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and ended thus the impressive long-home season on a winning note.

Statistical highlights of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2017 Statistical highlights of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2017

Virat Kohli and his boys came back strongly after going down 0-1 in the series against Australia.

India Vs Australia: Report card of Virat Kohli and Team India in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

The World's No.1 side in Tests lost their first match in Pune but came back strongly to win the Bengaluru Test, draw the Ranchi Test and again register a win in Dharamsala to clinch the series. It was the fourth occasion when India bounced back to clinch a Test series after losing the first one.

Earlier in 1972-73, India defeated England after going down in the opening Test. They did it for the second time during 2000-01 Test series against Australia and also during Test series against Sri Lanka in 2015.

It was, however, a team effort which helped India win a closely contested series and the hosts shrugged off the tag of being overly dependent upon Kohli.

Kohli's bat was silent all through the series but his absence wasn't felt as other players in the side played their part well.

Here's how every member from Team India performed in the Australia series:

1. KL Rahul - 8/10

1. KL Rahul - 8/10

The 24-year-old India opener had a remarkable home series against Australia.

The right-handed batsman smashed 6 fifties, most by any player, in the series and gave India a good start from his end.

The youngster played match winning knock in Bengaluru and his performance in Ranchi laid foundation of a good a first innings total for the hosts after Australia piled up 451 runs batting first.

Rahul scored 393 runs from 7 innings, with 90 being highest, at an average of 65.50.

However, the only drawback in his performance against the Australians was the way he threw his wicket away on a couple of occasions in the series.

Rahul had a couple of occasions where he could have slammed a ton, his first on home soil, but he missed out on all of them.

2. Murali Vijay - 5/10

2. Murali Vijay - 5/10

The second regular opener from India scored 113 runs out of 5 innings (3 Tests) he played, with 82 being his highest.

The Tamil Nadu opener averaged just 22.60 in the series. He also failed to give his side a good start as Rahul kept his wicket intact at the other end.

He Vijay had a chance of hitting a well deserved hundred in Ranchi but his decision to attack Steve O'Keefe in the last over before lunch backfired as he was stumped.

Vijay had a wonderful Test series against England but couldn't replicate a similar performance against Australia.

3. Cheteshwar Pujara - 9/10

3. Cheteshwar Pujara - 9/10

The right-handed batsman at No. 3 won millions of heart with his brilliant and gritty batting performances throughout the series.

Pujara was the highest scorer for India and second highest in the series after Steve Smith. The Saurashtra batsman scored 405 runs off 7 innings, with 202 being highest. Despite his patient and slow knock in Ranchi, Pujara averaged 57.85.

Pujara slammed a ton and two fifties, including 92-run-knock, in the series. The Test specialist frustrated the Australian bowlers at a time when team's backbone Virat Kohli failed to perform in the entire series.

Pujara held guard in crucial times and stitched crucial partnerships to steer the side from troubled waters.

It was his resilience in Bengaluru that helped India take a considerable 188 run-lead and India eventually beating the Aussies by 75 runs to level series.

On a placid Ranchi track, Pujara meditated at the crease for more than 11 hours to ensure only two results either hosts win it or visitors manage a draw.

4. Virat Kohli - 5/10

4. Virat Kohli - 5/10

It was one of those rare series' in which Virat Kohli 2.0 couldn't spew runs. The Indian skipper who also happens to be the batting mainstay of the side failed to perform with the bat.

The Australians managed to keep him silent possibly because they had done their homework well against the Indian dasher.

Kohli, who was in phenomenal form in the home season, could manage to score just 46 runs in his 5 innings and 15 was his highest score.

He, however, performed very well as the skipper. Kohli led the side aggressively in Bengaluru after suffering a shocker in Pune.

The team came from behind and defeated Australia in Bengaluru to level the series 1-1.

It was Kohli's persona and leadership that kept the team's morale high after a shambolic 333-run defeat on a rank-turner in Pune.

Kohli couldn't play in Dharamsala and remained in the dressing room for most of the game in Ranchi after he injured his shoulder on the very first day of the 3rd Test.

5. Ajinkya Rahane - 6/10

5. Ajinkya Rahane - 6/10

The world witnessed an able leader in Ajinkya Rahane when he led the side to a triumph in the deciding match in Dharamsala.

In the absence of a regular captain Virat Kohli, Rahane led the team from the front. His bowling changes and field placements surprised the Australians as India dominated more than 90 per cent of the game in Dharamsala.

Rahane had a decent if not very impressive performance with his bat against Australia.

The Mumbaikar scored 198 runs in 7 innings and remained not out on one occasion. He may not have been in best of his forms, but the 28-year-old right-handed batsman's 52-run knock in Bengaluru was the standout performance considering the demand of the situation.

6. Karun Nair - 3/10

6. Karun Nair - 3/10

There were huge expectations from Karun Nair in this series but he failed to live up to the hype and expectations.

Nair, who is only the triple centurion from India in Tests, performed terribly in all three matches he played.

He scored just 54 runs in 4 innings, with 26 being his highest score.

The Karnataka-batsman averaged just 13.50, which is very sub-standard considering the fact he was playing under home conditions.

7. Wriddhiman Saha - 8/10

7. Wriddhiman Saha - 8/10

The wicketkeeper-batsman was another positive for India against Australia. Saha's incredible 117-run innings in Ranchi Test will be remembered for long and so will be his gritty partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara.

He scored 174 run in six innings he batted, with 117 being his highest. Saha averaged 34.80, which is very good from the standards of a No. 7 batsman.

He was equally impressive with his gloves-work from behind the stumps. He effected some brilliant caught behind dismissals and gave his vital suggestions over DRS.

8. R Ashwin - 6/10

8. R Ashwin - 6/10

He made the history by becoming the highest wicket-taker in a Test season, by claiming 82 wickets and surpassing Dale Steyn's previous record of 78 wickets.

But, the Australia series wasn't very pleasing from the standards of Ravichandran Ashwin.

At a time when he was tipped to be the most lethal bowler in the series, the Indian off-spinner could only manage to pick 21 wickets in the 8 innings of 4 Tests. The tall Tamil Nadu tweaker bowled a whopping 225 overs in the series.

The all-rounder also didn't have a good outing with the bat against Australia. Ashwin could only score 53 runs from the six innings he came to bat.

9. Ravindra Jadeja - 9/10

9. Ravindra Jadeja - 9/10

He was adjudged man of the match in Dharamsala and also awarded the man of the series for his all-round performance against Australia.

With his consistent performance against Australia, Ravindra Jadeja proved his mettle and silenced his critics who questioned his position in the Test squad.

The left-arm spinner from Saurashtra notched up 25 wickets from 4 matches, most by any bowler in the series, at an average of 18.56.

Jadeja was the sole Indian bowler to grab two fifers in the series. Jadeja's performance in Ranchi helped him reach at the top of the ICC Test Rankings for bowlers and he consolidated his position with another brilliant effort in Dharamsala.

Jadeja was pretty handy with the bat as well and provided his side a stability lower down the order. He scored 127 runs in six innings, including two fifties.

10. Umesh Yadav - 8/10

10. Umesh Yadav - 8/10

He was another positive for the Indian side in the series. Umesh Yadav impressed everyone with his pace and wicket taking ability all through the series.

The Vidarbha speedster grabbed 17 wickets in four matches and averaged 23.41. It was his quality to generate incredible pace whenever he bowled that was pleasing to the eyes for Indian cricket fans.

The pacer recieved praise from all corners for his consistent performance throughout the home season. Former Australia captain Ian Chappell too praised Umesh for his fine display of pace bowling on Indian pitches.

"Umesh Yadav has been a real hero for India, and it's not just in this Test match, he has done well in the whole series and throughout the whole summer."

"To perform in so many Test matches and to have that sort of fire that he had at the start of Australian second innings, it was almost like he was determined that Australia were going to lose quite a few wickets before they got rid of the arrears. I thought he did a terrific job. Really (it was) the fire of Umesh Yadav that did the trick for India," Chappell was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying.

11. Ishant Sharma - 5/10

11. Ishant Sharma - 5/10

The Delhi speedster played 3 matches and managed to pick as many wicket. But the number of wickets he got do no justice to his fine performance in the series.

For he kept the pressure over Australian bowlers with his pace and aggression in all the three games he played.

The seamer kept bowling on the not so pace friendly pitches of Pune, Bengaluru and Ranchi and maintained the pressure over opposition batsmen.

12. Kuldeep Yadav - 7/10

12. Kuldeep Yadav - 7/10

The young China-man bowler, who made his debut in the deciding match at Dharamsala Stadium, justified his inclusion into the side by picking up 4 wickets in the first innings he bowled.

Kuldeep gave the breakthroughs to his side whenever the team needed them. The youngster may not have got any wickets in the second innings but his contribution towards India's victory in Dharamsala was very vital.

13. Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 5/10

13. Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 5/10

He's unarguably the best swing bowler from India but he needs conditions favouring his kind of bowling.

The Uttar Pradesh speedster played just one game in the series and a decent show with the ball. He picked up 2 wickets in the match, including the most important wicket of Steve Smith in the second innings.

It was Smith's early dismissal that helped the Indians wind up Australia in the second innings so cheaply.

14. Jayant Yadav - 4/10

14. Jayant Yadav - 4/10

The young all-rounder from Haryana had a not so impressive series both with the bat as well as with the ball. He played just one game in this series and scored just 7 runs and took just 2 wickets.

Jayant was dropped in the second Test match as the team decided to play Karun Nair.

15. Abhinav Mukund - 3/10

15. Abhinav Mukund - 3/10

Opener Abhinav Mukund failed to make an impression in both the innings of his comeback Test after he was dismissed for duck and 16 in both the innings of the second match against Australia.

The left-handed opener from Tamil Nadu played in the Bengaluru Test but failed to leave a mark in the match as he returned in India whites after a gap of five-and-a-half years.

OneIndia News

Story first published: Thursday, August 3, 2017, 7:45 [IST]
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