PLAYER RATINGS: Root head and shoulders above for England
PLAYER RATINGS: Joe Root was head and shoulders above the rest of England’s Test batters, while Rory Burns’ fourth duck in 2021 is ringing alarm bells
- The first Test between England and India ended in a draw after a washout
- Joe Root was imperious for England and on a different level to other batters
- The poor form of Rory Burns and Zak Crawley in the top order is a huge worry
- India’s Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of the bowlers in a decent seam attack
- Sportsmail’s Lawrence Booth runs through ratings from both sets of players
A potentially gripping final day of the first Test between England and India was unfortunately washed out, leaving the opening match of the series a draw.
India were firmly in the driving seat, chasing 157 for victory after closing the fourth day on 52-1, but Stuart Broad got the wicket of the dangerous KL Rahul. However, unrelenting rain all day at Trent Bridge put paid to any tense finale.
Sportsmail’s LAWRENCE BOOTH gives his ratings to both England and India sides, with the home team desperately in need of some vast improvement.
Joe Root stood head and shoulders above his fellow England batters, scoring 173 in the match
England
Rory Burns – 3
Began with his fourth Test duck in 2021, then fell cheaply on the fourth morning. His runs against New Zealand feel like an age ago.
Dom Sibley – 6
Hung around for five and a half hours in total – the equivalent of nearly a day – but managed just 46 runs and four fours. It’s one thing to see off the new ball, but he looks more strokeless than ever. Dropped another slip catch, too.
Zak Crawley – 5
Now has 10 single-figure scores in his 13 Test innings since his 267 against Pakistan last summer. Played nicely for 27 on the first day, but still vulnerable outside off stump.
Rory Burns’ form is extremely concerning – he started by getting his fourth duck in 2021
Joe Root – 9
Head and shoulders above his team-mates, he totalled 173 in the match – 38 per cent of England’s runs off the bat. Without him, they would be 1-0 down.
Jonny Bairstow – 6.5
Twice added useful runs with his captain, but scores of 29 and 30 left a sense of unfulfilment – especially in the second innings, when he nailed a pull straight to deep square leg.
Dan Lawrence – 5.5
Clearly talented, but all too fragile early on, and now has four ducks in his first 15 Test innings. Naively played round his front pad on the fourth afternoon the ball after a flamingo whip for four.
Ollie Robinson proved he could compete at Test level, and looks a banker in the years ahead
Jos Buttler – 5
Hadn’t played red-ball cricket since early February, and it showed during an 18-ball first-innings duck. Shouldered arms in the second just when it looked as if he might settle in.
Sam Curran – 6
A pair of useful counter-attacks from No 8 (he hit England’s only six of the Test), but wicketless in conditions that ought to have suited his left-arm swing.
Ollie Robinson – 8
Bowled beautifully, and spoke honestly about how his life has changed since his unsavoury tweets were unearthed two months ago. Looks like a banker in the years ahead.
Stuart Broad – 5.5
Another who paid for a lack of cricket. Broad needs rhythm, but hadn’t bowled in match conditions since July 14, and was outshone by Robinson.
James Anderson – 8
His first-ball dismissal of Virat Kohli may go down as the moment of the summer. And if England had held their slip catches, he might have had yet another Test five-for at Trent Bridge.
James Anderson celebrates taking Virat Kohli first ball, possibly the moment of the summer
India
Rohit Sharma – 6
His mis-hook on the stroke of lunch triggered an Indian collapse on the second day, but otherwise played neatly.
KL Rahul – 8
Held India’s first innings together after coming in as an emergency opener, demonstrating a technical purity beyond his England counterparts.
Cheteshwar Pujara – 4
All at sea in the first innings, and lucky to survive on the fourth evening. Pressure is growing after nine knocks without passing 21.
Virat Kohli – 3
Having not lost his wicket to Anderson for seven years, he fell to him at the first time of asking. Still chases the ball with his field settings.
KL Rahul showed great technical skill in his batting to hold India’s first innings together
Ajinkya Rahane – 3
Could have been run out once before he fell that way for five, but has credit in the bank after captaining India to victory in Australia.
Rishabh Pant – 7
Is there a more watchable player in world cricket? Batted with gusto – if all too briefly – and kept brilliantly.
Ravindra Jadeja – 7
Some queried his selection ahead of Ravichandran Ashwin, but he bowled tidily and helped India to an important lead with a lively half-century.
Shardul Thakur – 7
An English-style seamer, he made good use of the conditions, cleverly trapping both Root and Lawrence.
Jasprit Bumrah was the pick of India’s seamers, taking nine wickets and deserving more
Mohammed Shami – 7
Bowled without luck in the first innings, but went off the boil. Still a yard too short in English conditions.
Jasprit Bumrah – 9
Superb. Took nine wickets, and probably deserved more. His yorkers to the tailenders were just what England lacked. Even managed a career-best 28 with the bat.
Mohammed Siraj – 6
Never dull – even the combustible Kohli had to tell him to calm down – but figures of three for 132 didn’t quite match his self-belief.
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