India v England, series ratings: Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow both struggle

England’s tour of India ended in a crushing 4-1 defeat despite a promising start from Ben Stokes’ side.

A number of players had great individual moments, but few managed to string consistent performances together across the series.

Telegraph Sport rates the two sides. Let us know if you agree with our player ratings in the comments below. 

England

Zak Crawley

407 runs at 40.7

Finished with a duck, but England’s only really consistent batsman. Has been their best batsman across two tough series, but needs to cash in more ruthlessly. Should really regret leaving India without a century. 7/10

Ben Duckett

343 runs at 34.3

Looked frazzled by the end of a series in which Ashwin had his number again. But played one great innings and was part of the most consistent part of England’s team: the opening partnership. 6/10

Ollie Pope

315 runs at 31.5

An emblem for England’s series: brilliant in Hyderabad, then fell away horribly, with Bumrah’s brilliant yorker at Vizag starting the slide, which finished with two feckless, reckless dismissals in Dharamsala. Remains an enigma, and England need more from their No 3 and vice-captain. 5/10

Joe Root

320 runs at 35.6; eight wickets at 51

The only Englishman to outplay his opposite number? That says as much about India’s struggle to replace Kohli as it does about Root, who was brilliant in Ranchi but struggled elsewhere. Burdened by bowling, Bazball, or both? 6/10

Jonny Bairstow

238 runs at 23.8

May not have played if Brook was here, and the youngster will be straight back in at No 5 in July. Looked in good touch, but was incredibly profligate, with seven scores between 25 and 39. 3/10

Ben Stokes

199 runs at 19.9; one wicket at 17

Bizarre. Started well with the bat, but was a sitting duck to all spinners by the end. Couple of moments of fielding genius, and one absurd wicket. Captaincy was good, especially in first half of the series, but that matters little at 4-1. 3/10

Ben Foakes

205 runs at 20.5; 12 catches, 4 stumpings

Primary job was to keep, and did that very well. But what to make of his batting? Good when he has senior company, but such a struggle with the tail. It is not impossible that England look beyond both him and Bairstow. 5/10

Rehan Ahmed

11 wickets at 44; 76 runs at 12.7

Gutsy youngster with so much potential, but it’s all too soon for him, especially in what was essentially a four-man attack. Says he hates bowling maidens, but needs to learn to love the boring stuff, and improve his stock ball. 4/10

Tom Hartley 

22 wickets at 36.1; 185 runs at 18.5

Terrific character too produce a match-winning spell in Hyderabad, having been mauled on first day. Solid but unspectacular thereafter, and has an international future, but was largely out-bowled by Bashir. Impressive batting fell away late in series. 7/10

Mark Wood

4 wickets at 77.8

Ugly numbers, but was effective in Rajkot. Overall, he did look limited in conditions that required a bit more craft and England picked him one too many times. England missed a workhorse seamer, which Wood is not. 4/10

Jack Leach

2 wickets at 48

A sad tale. Battled back from a serious back problem, then picked up the most innocuous knee injury imaginable, and was ruled out of the tour. Bowled gallantly in Hyderabad to help England win. 5/10

James Anderson

10 wickets at 33.5

Magical in Visakhapatnam, but never hit those heights again. An achievement to play four Tests in a row, but at 41 could not bowl the long spells that England needed given how young their spinners were. 6/10

Shoaib Bashir

17 wickets at 33.4

A complete unknown before the tour but exceeded all expectations. Handled visa trouble calmly and looked at home as a Test spinner, picking up two five-wicket hauls. One for England to invest in. 7/10

Ollie Robinson

0 wickets; 58 runs at 29

Really disappointing bowling in his one game in Ranchi. Batted well, but dropped a vital catch and bowled too slowly to bother India’s batsmen. Needs to get fitter so he is not hampered by his back and can fulfil his abundant potential. 2/10

India

Yashasvi Jaiswal

712 runs at 79.9

Batted magisterially throughout, with one feature his penchant for attacking spinners at the start of their spells: Jaiswal hit 26 sixes in his nine innings, which included double centuries in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot. Aged 22, feels like Indian cricket’s next superstar. 9/10

Rohit Sharma

400 runs at 44.4

Languid elegance produced two terrific centuries, in Rajkot and Dharamsala. As important was Rohit’s rapid 55 in the second innings in Ranchi, getting India ahead of the chase before England fought back. Rohit’s calm captaincy, especially his use of Kuldeep Yadav and empowerment of young players, seems perfectly suited to India as they aim to go one better than their defeats in the 2021 and 2023 World Test Championship finals next year. 8/10

Shubman Gill 

452 runs at 56.5

Worked through issues against James Anderson to enjoy an outstanding series. After frustrating at times in his Test career, two centuries, a 91 in Rajkot and an assured 52 not out to clinch victory in the run chase in Ranchi added up to the feel of a coming-of-age series for Gill. Aged 24, increasingly feels like a senior player. 8/10

KL Rahul

108 runs at 54

Injury limited Rahul to the opening Test in Hyderabad. But his first innings 86 should ensure that he slots back into the side, even when Virat Kohli is available again. 7/10

Devdutt Padikkal

65 runs at 65

Left-hander made an assured debut at number four in Dharamshala, using his 6ft 3in height to drive on the up; aged 23, has the feel of being a long-term Test player, if only a spot will open up. It is yet another sign of India’s remarkable strength in depth. 7/10

Rajat Patidar

63 runs at 10.5

First-class pedigree and India’s absences led to a Test debut aged 30. But in three Tests, Patidar provided little hint of his qualities and will have to work hard in domestic cricket to win another chance. 2/10

Shreyas Iyer

104 runs at 26

After four scores between 13 and 35, Iyer was dropped after the second Test. For all his qualities, the loss of his India contract suggests that the national team might have moved on. 5/10

Sarfaraz Khan

200 runs at 50

Phenomenal record - he averages 68 in first-class cricket - finally resulted in a Test debut, aged 26. Khan’s belligerence, scoring at a strike rate of 75, gave notice of an extremely dangerous Test middle-order player with game-changing potential when India tour Australia this winter. 7/10

KS Bharat

92 runs at 23

India’s Ben Foakes? A sublime wicketkeeper, but India moved on after two Tests, preferring a more expansive batsman. 6/10

Dhruv Jurel

190 runs at 63.3

After replacing Bharat, Jurel emphatically vindicated India’s decision. Player of the match in Ranchi, scoring 90 and 39 not out, and kept well too. Can India fit Jurel and Rishabh Pant into the same side? 8/10

Ravindra Jadeja

232 runs at 38.7; 19 wickets at 25.1

An extraordinary Test cricketer at home. By Jadeja’s standards, this wasn’t even a particularly notable series. For anyone else, it would have been: a crucial hundred, made from number five, at Rajkot, together with 19 wickets and electric fielding. 8/10

Ravichandran Ashwin

116 runs at 16.6; 26 wickets at 24.8

England decided to attack Ashwin as few have dared. The result was an unusually high economy rate of 4.1; you suspect Ashwin cared more about his strike rate, which was just 36. After 14 wickets in the final three innings of the series, England were left looking just as bereft against Ashwin as ever. Batting was a little disappointing by his standards. 8/10

Axar Patel

133 runs at 33.3; 5 wickets at 41.2

Remains a very fine cricketer, but, on flatter wickets, struggled to replicate his impact against England in 2021. Squeezed out in the last three Tests, when India were imperious. 6/10

Kuldeep Yadav

19 wickets at 20.1

Bowled with wonderful control and variation, benefiting from adding pace. His wickets were less the result than the mystery of a left-arm wrist spinner, but his sheer excellence: if anything, Kuldeep’s hold over England increased as the series wore on, taking five wickets in the first innings in Dharamshala, including Ollie Pope stumped with a googly. Batting has improved, too. The greatest compliment to Kuldeep is that there is a real case that he should be India’s first choice spinner in Australia later this year. 9/10

Jasprit Bumrah

19 wickets at 16.9

Nine wickets in the Test at Visakhapatnam, including 6-46 in the first innings turned the series. The yorker to bowl Ollie Pope was a particular sight to behold. With pace, seam and swing alike - including reverse - clever variations and relentless accuracy, Bumrah is firmly-established as one of the game’s greatest ever pace bowlers. 9/10

Mohammed Siraj

Six wickets at 46

Played four Tests, but was not as accurate as normal. First innings 4-84 in Rajkot, when Ashwin was at home for personal reasons, was a crucial part of India’s series victory; elsewhere, Siraj was innocuous. 4/10

Akash Deep

Three wickets at 27.7

Terrific new ball spell on his debut at Ranchi, pitching the ball up and snaring England’s top three. Can expect to be involved more when India tour. 6/10

Mukesh Kumar

One wicket at 70

Only took a solitary wicket in his lone Test. Aged 30, time might be running out to have a substantial Test career. 3/10