New Zealand vs India 2020, Test Series: Team India Players' Performance Ratings

Number one Test team India suffered a humbling defeat to New Zealand on their home turf, Christchurch on Monday. The loss at Hagley Oval marked India’s second consecutive defeat in the ICC World Test Championship and sustained their first series defeat in whites after little over 12 months. India’s batting line-up which was the flag-bearer was the most disappointing aspect of their loss in this series.

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The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, their two best batsmen, averaged 25 and 9.50 respectively. Their captain had a forgettable series with a high score of 19 and collectively scoring 38 runs in the series.

In the swinging and seaming conditions, India’s batting line-up appeared more vulnerable than ever as they could pass 200 across four innings only once.

We take a look at Team India Players’ Performance Ratings:

Mayank Agarwal – 7/10

As his first Test series in overwhelmingly seaming conditions, Mayank Agarwal was India’s best batsman in their defeat. In two matches, he scored 102 runs with a solitary fifty at an average of 25.50.

Yet, one has to agree that the Karnataka lad has plenty of work to do to become one of the best. He earns a rating of 7/10.

Prithvi Shaw – 4/10

Prithvi Shaw played his first Test in Wellington since making his debut in October 2018. And it was fair to say that he didn’t have the best of times. He scored one fifty across four innings.

Unfortunately, his technical deficiencies were exposed by the Kiwi pacers. The youngster also made a couple of promising starts but wasn’t able to carry on to make big scores. He receives a rating of 4/10.

Cheteshwar Pujara – 6/10

Cheteshwar Pujara fared well than most of the batsmen in the series but didn’t have one to remember. One hundred runs from two matches with a high score of 54 is exceptionally underwhelming by his margin of standards.

In retrospect, he was one of their batsmen earmarked to make a massive impact on this overseas tour, considering his superhuman display in Australia.

However, the Saurashtra batsman could only do so much. The 31-year old receives a rating of 6/10.

Virat Kohli – 3/10

Even the likes of Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, and Mohammed Shami fared well with the bat than Virat Kohli. That was how much the Indian skipper struggled to get going, finishing with 38 runs across four innings at 9.50.

After exorcising the demons of his early Test career, those came haunting Kohli back, appearing vulnerable to the swinging deliveries. The 31-year old gets a rating of 3/10.

Ajinkya Rahane – 4/10

Another batsman who had a chastening outing against the Kiwis was Ajinkya Rahane. While Rahane doesn’t boast the reputation of Kohli and Pujara, he is one of the toughest in their outfit play some crucial knocks on his day. His highest score of 46 came in the first innings from where it seemed as if the right-hander would grow in stature.

However, Neil Wagner cruelly exposed the 31-year old’s weakness against short-pitched deliveries. He finished with 91 runs in two games at 22.75 and gets a rating of 4/10.

Hanuma Vihari – 4/10

Hanuma Vihari is one of the newest additions to the Test team in recent times. In his first Test series in the swinging conditions, Vihari was confronted with the harsh realities of playing in the same.

Vihari finished with 86 runs in a couple of matches at 21.50 and receives a rating of 4/10. And while a quite series as such shouldn’t entirely demotivate him as it is just the beginning of his career.

Rishabh Pant – 3/10

Rishabh Pant’s selection over Wriddhiman Saha shockingly received plenty of backlashes. Pant is more of a batsman than Saha deserved the nod.

However, he was one of those who ended up with a quite series. The Delhi batsman scored 86 runs in two matches at 15.00 and earns a rating of 3/10.

Ravindra Jadeja – 4.5/10

In addition, Ravindra Jadeja should have been picked in the first Test itself. That coming for a must-win game in Christchurch put an extra amount of pressure on the all-rounder.

The Saurashtra all-rounder was in ominous form with the bat before this; however, the pace battery of the Kiwis proved too much for him. Yet, he picked two wickets on a green top and scored 25 runs in two innings.

Ravichandran Ashwin – 5/10

Ravichandran Ashwin faced the axe for the second Test in favour of Ravindra Jadeja due to the latter’s edge with the bat.

But Ashwin, in his only outing, picked three wickets and didn’t do much wrong to find himself out of the side.

The 33-year old gets a rating of 5/10

Ishant Sharma – 8/10

Ishant Sharma’s ankle injury forced him to miss the second Test after his terrific outing in the first. He played the first Test after fast-tracking himself to fitness and bagged five wickets to keep his team in the game.

The Delhi pacer’s absence in Christchurch pegged the visitors back a bit. He gets a rating of 8/10.

Umesh Yadav – 6/10

Umesh Yadav replaced Ishant Sharma for the second Test in Christchurch. Umesh has also been in as terrific a form as Ishant, having flourished in the home Tests against South Africa and Bangladesh.

Yet, he couldn’t make the desired impact in the only Test he played in, taking two wickets at 45.50. He earns a rating of 6/10.

Mohammed Shami – 6.5/10

A remarkable resurgence followed Mohammed Shami’s disappointing performance in the first innings in Wellington in which he conceded runs at an economy rate of nearly four by picking up one wicket.

In Christchurch, he played an integral role in limiting the hosts to 235 after taking four wickets to secure a seven-run lead. But his five wickets in the series weren’t enough to prevent a defeat.

Nevertheless, he gets a rating of 6.5/10.

Jasprit Bumrah – 7/10

Jasprit Bumrah’s performance fell drastically down compared to the ones in South Africa, England, and Australia mainly due to his recurring injuries. He could get only one wicket in the first innings at Basin Reserve but bounced back to take three wickets in the first innings in Christchurch.

For his six wickets in two games, he receives a rating of 7/10.

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