England began the series with a resounding 227-run win in the first Test. Then everything went downhill. After that 578 in their first innings of the series, they crossed 200 only once in seven attempts. They failed to decipher the bowling of R Ashwin and Axar Patel, and were time and again thwarted by the Indian lower order. Here is the report card for their squad: India seal series, World Test Championship final spot after England’s meek surrender
Joe Root: 8 (368 runs at 46, 6 wickets at 23.50, 3 catches)
Root joined a handful of cricketers to score a double-hundred and take a five-wicket haul in the same series. But he did little else, scoring only 150 runs in 7 innings and – if it is relevant – taking a solitary wicket. His role in selecting XIs is not known, but some selections definitely raised eyebrows.
James Anderson: 7.5 (12 runs at 4, 8 wickets at 15.87, 1 catch)
Even at 38, Anderson gave little away on pitches that offered him little, and was the pick of the fast bowlers from either side. He went for under two runs an over, and kept coming at the batsman, tightening the noose around him. The wickets seemed almost inevitable.
Jack Leach: 7 (48 runs at 8, 18 wickets at 28.72, 1 catch)
Not a great spinner of the ball, Leach bowled well within his limitations and let the pitch do the rest. He finished with more than twice as many wickets as his teammates, and took a four-wicket haul in three different Tests.
Ben Stokes: 6 (203 runs at 25.37, 5 wickets at 30.60, 5 catches)
Despite not being at his best, Stokes was the only English batsman to cross fifty twice in the series. Unfortunately, his counterattacks were often restricted due to the presence a weak lower order. He was also excellent in the slip cordon, and bowled until he dropped in the final Test match.
Moeen Ali: 6 (49 runs at 24.50, 8 wickets at 28.25, 1 catch)
England might have put up a sterner fight in the last two matches had Moeen not returned home after playing a solitary Test. He took 4-128 and 4-98, but his runs came in a merry slog when all was over.
Olly Stone: 6 (1 run at 0.50, 4 wickets at 17, 1 catch)
Stone played only one Test, but he bowled better than a couple of his senior teammates. He should have got another opportunity in the final match, where England fielded a strangely lopsided XI.
Ben Foakes: 5 (78 runs at 15.60, 4 catches, 3 stumpings)
Foakes kept wickets magnificently on pitches where the job was far from easy. He also looked comfortable against spin, but after scoring 42 not out in his first innings of the series, he did not make it to 15 again.
Jos Buttler: 4 (54 runs at 27, 5 catches)
Buttler kept well in his only Test match. He also played two brisk cameos, during the course of which he impressed more than most England cricketers.
Dan Lawrence: 4 (149 runs at 24.83)
Lawrence had a quiet start to the series, peaking only in the last Test match. But when he did, he played Ashwin and Axar well, and scored 46 and 50.
Jofra Archer: 3 (16 runs at 4, 4 wickets at 30.50)
Only 35.1 overs for Archer, but he generated pace, getting the ball to bounce off a length. He certainly got the better of Shubman Gill, and there is little doubt that he was underutilised.
Dom Bess: 3 (64 runs at 16, 5 wickets at 39.40)
With 4-76 and two cameos, Bess was one of the heroes of England’s only win of the Test series. However, he was too erratic in his other Test match, the fourth of the series; as a result, the strategy of playing three specialist bowlers fell flat on its face.
Ollie Pope: 2.5 (153 runs at 19.13, 5 catches)
Pope did not live up to his potential. He seldom looked confident, and did not make it to 35 even once. Gets half a point for his performance as a close-in fielder: he took a couple of very good catches.
Dom Sibley: 2 (134 runs at 16.75, 1 catch)
Sibley began the series with a dour 87, but his other seven innings amounted to a mere 47. He ended the series with five single-digit scores on the trot.
Zak Crawley: 2 (67 runs at 16.75, 2 catches)
Crawley’s 53 in the first innings of the third Test was the best performance by an English opener in the series, but he did little else of note.
Rory Burns: 1 (58 runs at 14.50, 3 catches)
Burns played the first two Test matches. He got two cameos and two ducks, and was dropped for the rest of the series.
Jonny Bairstow: 1 (28 runs at 7)
Bairstow batted four times, and all his 28 runs came in one innings. He lasted for four balls across the other three innings, and is unlikely to play Test cricket anytime soon.
Stuart Broad: 0.5 (9 runs at 4.50, no wicket)
A forgettable series for Broad, who has never done well in India anyway.