It was a series to remember for Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel, but one to forget for Jonny Bairstow
By Gary Naylor for the 99.94
Cricket Blog
Joe Root: 368 runs at an average of 46; six wickets at 24; three catchesRoot carried his sensational form from Sri Lanka to Chennai to deliver a win for the ages, sweeping a double century to set up the series. Subsequently, he failed to make more than 33, as India’s spinners’ patience preyed on his fatigue. Despite having much more than a popgun attack, he couldn’t stop Rohit Sharma’s series-changing boundary barrage in the second Test, nor Ravichandran Ashwin’s nails-into-coffin century in the second dig. Even though hge picked the wrong team for both of the matches he needed to win, he remains a personable character who was as amazed as anyone with his five-fer. Maybe that charisma, his record of victories and his status as an all-time great batsman protects him from more forthright criticism after defeats in which
England were ultimately barely competitive despite gaining footholds in all three Tests. Grade B-