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After the high of Lord's, the low at Southampton. Following India's 266-run defeat at Ageas Bowl on Friday, gocricket.com assesses how each of the 11 players fared. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a> 
Vijay followed his defiant batting at Lord's - 24 and 95 - with a stumbling performance. He looked out of sorts against <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson</a> on day three and perished for 34 to a moment of indecision to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-broad/3001/3067">Stuart Broad</a>. Worse, though, was Vijay's lethargic run out for 12 in the second innings. After two strong games, a low can be excused to an extent. And Vijay is a batsman who finds a way out of a slump. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> 
Vijay's opening partner has looked out of sorts in England and his place in the XI is now in jeopardy ahead of the Old Trafford Test. Six innings, 122 runs, highest of 37 in the second innings at Southampton. The cracks in his technique were again exposed by Anderson in the first innings, while in the second Dhawan fell to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/joe-root/3001/73004">Joe Root</a>'s part-time offspin. Looks far removed from the dasher who bullied Australia in Mohali and stood tall in New Zealand. Has Dhawan exhausted whatever faith the management has in him? 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> 
India's No 3 had his poorest match of the series. Was tested by a fiery Anderson in the first innings where he looked uncomfortable against his bounce. Fell to a rising delivery from Broad that he failed to negotiate, and was caught behind when trying to weave out the ball's way. In the second, with India staring at a mountain, Pujara nicked off against <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/moeen-ali/3001/3153">Moeen Ali</a> for two. Pujara has not looked as shaky in Tests as he has in England. His rock-solid technique is being tested. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> 
India's superstar showed signs of shrugging off his poor form in this Test, but twice squandered starts. His dismissal to Anderson in India's first innings was an extension of a nagging problem - the corridor of uncertainty outside off stump. His dismissal to Ali's offbreaks in the second was just downright ordinary. How Kohli fares in the next two Tests could impact whether he is regarded as a truly exceptional player or just a good one. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> 
India's best batsman, with two fifties. Looked good during his first-innings 54 until he made a mess of a long hop from Ali. Batted 121 balls for 52 not out in the second, the only Indian to cross 37. Goes to Old Trafford the most confident player of the team. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> The case of India's most frustrating batsman continued. Drafted in for his first Test in England, in place of allrounder <keyword id="258548" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Stuart-Binny">Stuart Binny</keyword>, Rohit found himself no further fans with a silly dismissal to Ali in the first innings. Shortly before tea, Rohit dashed out and lofted to mid-off, then sunk to his knees in despair. In the second, he made six before falling early on day five, edging off Anderson. Could be swapped for Binny in a week's time. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> 
His biggest lapse in this match was falling early on day four, when India needed to bat out time. On 50 overnight, and with two tailenders remaining, India's captain hooked at one from Anderson and top-edged to the wicketkeeper. He failed to add a run to his total and India's innings lasted 25 balls. Was flat in the field, letting the game slip away. As often in the past, when teams start to attack, Dhoni eases into defensive mode and this was glaring here too. Needs to shake himself and the team up. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> 
Was India's leading wicket-taker in this Test but his left-arm spin was very ordinary, and the way Bell and debutant Jos Buttler took Jadeja apart in England's first innings was striking. His wickets either owed to poor shots, wrong calls or the need for quick runs. He got Cook for 95 with a short ball down the leg side; Buttler heaved and missed when the declaration was imminent; Gary Ballance was incorrectly given out; Bell and Root both went looking for quick runs in the second innings. Jadeja conceded 205 runs in 56.2 overs (economy rate 3.65) and with the bat, made 31 and 15. Calls for R Ashwin to play in his place have grown louder. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> 
No doubt, his average returns had a direct link to India's loss. Struggled to show the consistency and determination of the first two Tests, taking four wickets for 160 runs and scoring 19 and 0. A failure was around the corner, and the fatigue showed on Bhuvneshwar when he walked off the field Wednesday. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a> 
Turned in another poor showing, and should make way for a fresher pair of legs at Old Trafford. Cranked up some good pace on day one and did bowl some scattered short deliveries that tested England's batsmen, but overall Shami was ordinary and erratic. His five wickets in the series have come every 115 deliveries and at a cost of 73.20 each. Time to go? 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> A domestic stalwart for Rajashan with 300 wickets in 77 first-class matches, Pankaj was handed a Test cap when <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword> was ruled out, and finished with a record he won't want attached to his name: the most runs conceded by a debutant bowler without a wicket. However, he bowled far better than the stats suggest, particularly on day one, and should have had <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> early as well as <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ian-bell/3001/3048">Ian Bell</a>. Was the best of India's three pacers, doing whatever was asked of him, but a lack of pace and those awful figures could confine Pankaj to a solitary Test appearance.

A Report Card On India's Defeat

A bird's-eye view is so 2014.If you want to see what's happening under the sea, you need to consult with a turtle.Which is what the World Wildlife Fund did in their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLNxwX7r4A55401JEFOxK5_pUFVHU6lzPA&amp;v=2I6hDqCrI9o">new video</a> of the Great Barrier Reef, a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a> and the world's largest system of coral reefs.The video campaign is aimed at raising awareness of the reef, which is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-great-barrier-reef-will-disappear-2015-5">currently disappearing</a> because its diverse plants and animals are having a tough time coping with climate change. A controversial practice known as <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-31901326" target="_blank">sea floor "dredging," a process of scraping large areas of the sea floor to enlarge shipping channels</a>, is adding to the stress on the reef.Created by the WWF's Christine Hof and marine biologist Ian Bell, the video starts with the GoPro being strapped on.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Then the turtle cruises underwater - notice the other turtle zooming to the right.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>And he comes up for air.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Eventually, the turtle knocks the camera off.A curious fish investigates.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>"The Great Barrier Reef is home to almost 6000 species," <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I6hDqCrI9o&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;list=PLNxwX7r4A55401JEFOxK5_pUFVHU6lzPA" target="_blank">the original Youtube description reads.</a> "Thanks to GoPro, here's what the journey through it looks like for one of them: a turtle's eye view of the Reef."On Thursday, UNESCO decided against putting the Great Barrier Reef - which is currently threatened by climate change - on their '<a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/danger/">in danger</a>' list, <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/158/" target="_blank">which signifies that a place may be losing the properties that make it universally valuable</a>.<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/02/great-barrier-reef-australia-says-unesco-decision-shows-it-is-a-world-leader" target="_blank">Australian environmental minister Greg Hunt took that as a win</a> for the country because it shows they've made strides in trying to save it from destruction.In the past, the reef was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-great-barrier-reef-will-disappear-2015-5">handed what some have called a "death sentence"</a> because of the encroach of climate change and Australia's continued industrialization. Already, <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/109/44/17995.short" target="_blank">50% of the corals in the reef are gone</a>, and the World Wildlife Foundation says that <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?238512/Great-Barrier-Reef-dumping-ground" target="_blank">the Australian coal industry - which continues to boom - has been using the reef as a dumping ground</a>.Hunt <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/02/great-barrier-reef-australia-says-unesco-decision-shows-it-is-a-world-leader">says</a> the decision to keep the Reef from the worst category of endangerment shows that Australia has made huge strides in trying to save it from destruction. But the struggle isn't over: So far, Australia <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-33350101" target="_blank">has promised to</a> reduce pollution by 80% by 2025 and disallow the dumping of dredged materials around the reef.The UN <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-01/unesco-great-barrier-reef/6588118" target="_blank">says it will closely monitor the reef for the next four years</a>.This adorable video certainly adds to that awareness.Watch the full video below.<div><div></div></div>&#xa0; <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-get-rid-negative-thoughts-tim-wilson-psychologist-2015-5">A psychologist reveals how to get rid of negative thoughts</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tiNjBldTrpDuXcOLfZiwRhWAXF-dQOQ7" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

A sea turtle strapped with a GoPro just gave us a gorgeous underwater view of Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Leeds: Sri Lanka batsman <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mahela-jayawardene/9001/9003">Mahela Jayawardene</a> said England failed to handle the pressure on the fourth day of the second and final test on Monday and questioned the way home captain Alastair Cook had handled recent criticism. 
 
England, chasing 350 to win, were staring defeat in the face at the close of play on 57 for five after <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/dhammika-prasad/9001/9056">Dhammika Prasad</a> grabbed four wickets during a fiery spell of fast bowling. 
 
Earlier, a test-best 160 from skipper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/angelo-mathews/9001/9058">Angelo Mathews</a> helped Sri Lanka amass a second-innings total of 457 after starting the day in a tricky position on 212 for four. 
 
"We've seen that under pressure they (England) are not quite up to it," said Jayawardene after having chipped in with a typically cultured knock of 79. "They were quite chirpy but they quietened down after the first hour. We know who's on top and who's not," he told reporters at Headingley. 
 
Cook, on the receiving end of a 5-0 Ashes whitewash at the beginning of the year, has been criticised by former Australia great Shane Warne who branded the captain as "boring" and "unimaginative". 
 
The out-of-form opening batsman made only 16 on Monday and is now without a test hundred for 24 innings. Former Sri Lanka skipper Jayawardene questioned the way Cook had responded to the recent criticism from Warne who is a regular pundit on Sky Sports television. "I feel for Alastair but it doesn't help arguing with commentators," he said. "That is something you can't control. 
 
"You just need to control the things you can control out there and that is perform and carry your team through. I'm a great believer in forgetting things you can't control." 
 
Jayawardene heaped praise on Mathews' knock and said, "Angelo batted really well in that situation, safeguarding the tail and taking the opportunity to go for those big shots when the field was in. He didn’t have to take too many risks when the field was back, but whenever he needed to take a risk, he did. In that context, that showed that they were on the back foot and we just needed to drive that advantage we had forward." 
 
However, Ian Bell, the England vice-captain and playing in his 100th Test backed Cook and said that the team will back the England skipper despite staring at a potential series defeat. Speaking in The Telegraph, Bell said that the tactics that England adopted during Mathews' knock of 160 was wrong. "If you want to stop somebody like that scoring runs you get them out don’t you, you don’t try and stop them from scoring runs," he said.

England cannot handle pressure: Jayawardene

It is a good wager that paceman Varun Aaron and off-spinner <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">R Ashwin</a> will have had to deal with conflicting thoughts of having been left out of the Indian XI for the third Investec Test against England at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. They would have been both disappointed and at once relieved that they did not have to overcome the challenge of having to bowl on a flat deck. 
 
In <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>'s absence with an ankle injury, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> should have gone in with someone who could intimidate England and that would have been Varun Aaron. His fellow-Jharkhand player has the pace to take the pitch out of the equation. The Indian captain could have used him in short spells on a track that offered the seamers little assistance. 
 
Ashwin's guile - way ahead of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra </a><a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Jadeja</a>'s - could have tested England's left-handers <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gary-ballance/3001/73003">Gary Ballance</a> who shared a 158-run stand for the second wicket. But Dhoni's mind seems made up against including the off-spinner in his plans. Did India pay for that? Only time will answer that question over the next few days. 
 
To be fair, there is no denying that the strapping <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> did a good fist of bowling within his limitations but India needed someone who could be among the wickets on a track like this. In <keyword id="11685" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ishant-Sharma">Ishant Sharma</keyword>'s absence, it had to be Aaron. He has the pace to consistently overcome a flat deck and harry the batsmen into making mistakes. 
 
It was tragic that India's reluctance to position the slip fielders better came in the way of Pankaj claiming his maiden Test wicket in his opening spell. It can only be hoped that India will learnt from the mistakes and return on Monday with a more aggressive intent. That will quash any aspirations that Cook and his men have of pulling one back and levelling the series. 
 It was even more tragic that Pankaj's appeal for leg before against Ian Bell in the final session was turned down by Australian umpire Rod Tucker. Well as Pankaj bowled, the fact is that India did not pick enough bowlers who would take 20 wickets in this Test. It is clear that India have preferred to wait until they get to <keyword id="2023" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Old-Trafford">Old Trafford</keyword> to make a push to notch up another win. 
 
In picking <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> ahead of off-spinner Ashwin and <keyword id="258548" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Stuart-Binny">Stuart Binny</keyword>, Dhoni has sought to bolster the batting in a bid to ensure that the 1-0 lead can be protected. It is clearly a defensive tactic, aimed at improving India's specialist batsmen's chances of keeping the England bowlers at bay for long enough to be able to protect the 1-0 lead. 
 
With each passing over, it was becoming clear that the Indian batsmen will have to come up with a strong response to ensure that the threat of the follow-on is averted and that the challenge of having to bat last on a track that does not appear to be the sort that will deteriorate much. The ball, as the cliche goes, is in the Indian batsmen's court. 
 
After the first day when England made 247 for two, India can only hope that their batsmen will deal with pressure when it is piled on them in the coming days. There can be no doubting that Dhoni could have given his limited attack better fields to challenge England, even on the flat pitch that held little by way of encouragement for the bowlers.

Did Dhoni Miss Aaron Or Ashwin On Day 1 In Southampton?

England's continuation of winning every session stretched into the fourth day with India struggling to save the third Test at the Ageas Bowl. For India, though, there was scant change in fortunes from day three: like in the first innings, India went into stumps in a precarious situation, well set batsmen failed to push on and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/moeen-ali/3001/3153">Moeen Ali</a> had two wickets. India needed to bat out 90 overs with the 445-run target seemingly out of reach after closing the day on 112 for 4, 333 behind. 
 
While India's frontline bowlers struggled to contain the England batsmen in the second innings, it only needed England's part-timers to inflict most damage. Three out of India's top four were victims of Moeen and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/joe-root/3001/73004">Joe Root</a>, while the fourth was run out. Lapses of concentration were India's biggest bane in a game their batsmen needed large reserves of. <keyword id="51784" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ajinkya-Rahane">Ajinkya Rahane</keyword> (18*) and Rohit Sharma (6*) played out the rest of the day but another 90 overs remain. 
 Like the last three days, England continued to dominate while India continued to play catch up. Twenty-five balls was all it took for England's bowlers to wrap up India's innings for 330, and despite the visitors falling short of the follow-on target by 39 runs, <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> led his team out to bat for a second time, 239 ahead. 
 A rapid second essay, powered by <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="captain">captain</keyword> Cook's 70* and Joe Root's 41-ball 56 prompted England's second declaration of the match on 205 for 4, setting India a target of 445. England scored at over five runs an over, giving themselves little over four sessions to bowl India out defending a total that has never been chased before. 
 
In reply, India looked rather settled as Murali Vijay and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a> began well. India's openers haven't put on 50 in an away Test since <keyword id="13839" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Gautam-Gambhir">Gautam Gambhir</keyword> and Abhinav Mukund three years ago, and the trend continued as Vijay ran himself out. Dhawan set off for a quick single and Stuart Broad's underarm throw hit the stumps directly to find Vijay inches short for 12. 
 Cheteshwar Pujara hadn't converted any of his previous starts, and the introduction of Moeen into the attack didn't allow him one this time, his loose drive taking an edge which Chris Jordan brilliantly hung on to at first slip. Another 50-run partnership followed, this time between Dhawan and <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword>, but the curse of the part-time spinner continued to lurk and both fell to similar dismissals. Dhawan was drawn into a drive on 37 that found the outside edge of his bat, while Kohli nicked behind to Jos Buttler for 28. 
 England needed quick runs on the board after choosing not to enforce the follow-on, but Sam Robson was out early to <keyword id="479464" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bhuvneshwar-Kumar">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</keyword> for 13 as Dhawan held on to a catch at first slip, but Dhoni's decision to bring on the part-time spinners indicated resignation as the hosts ran away with the advantage. 
 Gary Ballance was unfortunate as the umpire adjudged him caught at short leg to <keyword id="6359948" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Ravindra-Jadeja">Ravindra Jadeja</keyword> for 38, even though replays suggested otherwise. England resisted the temptation to promote Jos Buttler up the order to boost the scoring rate, but Ian Bell (23, 21b, 4x4) and Root ensured they kept the momentum during the second session. Bell was bowled round his stumps as Jadeja got one to turn in from the rough and Root suffered the same fate, but his sixth Test half-century had meant England had opened up a 444-run lead, enough to sound the declaration. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson's</a> short ball ploy had earlier resulted in the wickets of overnight batsmen MS Dhoni and Mohammed Shami as he finished with 5 for 53 on his 32nd birthday, his 16th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and third against India as they made short work of India's first innings. While Dhoni was out fending an Anderson short ball without adding to his overnight 50, Mohammed Shami's dismissal was a mirror image of Cheteshwar Pujara's wicket on the third day, and India could only add seven more runs to their total. 
 
India's bowlers came out hoping they didn't let England get away with too many, they found little help from either the surface or the bowlers. After Robson's wicket, Bhuvneshwar was caned for 59 from his 10 overs while Shami bowled just four, sounding alarms over his place in the fourth Test.

England Sense Win As India Falter Against Spin

England asserted their supremacy on the opening day of the fourth Test at Old Trafford as they closed on 113/3 after <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-broad/3001/3067">Stuart Broad</a>'s 6 for 25 bundled India out for 152. India equalled the record of six ducks in a Test innings and despite a gritty half-century from <keyword id="16561" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="skipper">skipper</keyword> <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>, the Indian batting surrendered to some quality seam bowling from the Englishmen. 
 
England skipper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> could not have chosen a better toss to lose after his Indian counterpart Dhoni opted to bat on a lively Old Trafford pitch, which as it would turn out, have more than just a handful for the medium-pacers. Amid all the speculation surrounding the Playing XI heading into Manchester, India rang in three changes. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/4001/4043">Gautam Gambhir</a> replaced the out-of-form <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>; <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a> was selected in place of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> and the much-talked about <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron</a> was picked ahead of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>. 
 
Dhoni's decision backfired as Broad and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson</a> (3 for 46) shredded India to 8 for 4 inside the first six overs giving England their best start of the series. Comeback man Gambhir's (4) stay at the middle was short-lived after he fended at a length ball to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/joe-root/3001/73004">Joe Root</a> at gully from Broad. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a> was the next to go for a duck, seven balls later to Anderson. Vijay, who has been good at leaving balls outside his off-stump in this series, played and nicked to skipper Cook at first slip. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> failed to impress yet again and went without troubling the scorers. While Kohli tickled an exceptional outswinger from Anderson, Pujara edged a full-length delivery from Broad to a diving Chris Jordan at third slip leaving India reeling at 8 for 4. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> - who has by far looked India's best batsman on the tour - and Dhoni weathered the storm and decided to leave more balls. Both gutted it out and strung together an dogged 50-run stand. Once Anderson and Broad were taken out of the attack, run-scoring became comparatively fluent and easier. Jordan, however, ended the promising stand with the wicket of Rahane for 24 in the penultimate over of the session. 
 
India started the second session losing the wicket of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> (0) to his 'friend' Anderson in the second over after the lunch interval. Anderson set the trap nicely following back-to-back away going deliveries with an inswinger that jagged back in and caught the Indian allrounder stone dead in front of the stumps. At 63 for 5, Ashwin joined his skipper in the middle and the pair batted with precaution to slowly take India forward. Ashwin's near-clean batting technique played a perfect second-fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end, took calculated risks and kept the scoreboard ticking. 
 
Ashwin had a slice of luck on 25, when he was dropped by wicketkeeper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/jos-buttler/3001/3111">Jos Buttler</a> off Anderson in the 35th over. He and Dhoni put together 66 runs for the seventh wicket before the offspinner mistimed a pull off Broad to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/sam-robson/3001/84620">Sam Robson</a> at deep-square leg. Ashwin's flamboyant 42-ball 40 was and laced with three fours and a six over deep fine leg which launched a counter-attack on England. Broad then cleaned up <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> two overs later for his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests. His dismissal exposed the Indian tail which managed to survive just seven more overs. Dhoni played a few unorthodox shots and reached his 32nd half-century with a four and casually edged and pulled his way to 71 before eventually finding the fielder at deep-square leg. 
 
England's hopes of a good beginning was tarnished by Robson - who battled for 24 balls and scored six runs. Bhuvneshwar once again removed him - third time in the series, castling his off stump with an inswinger. Cook's twin fifties at Southampton seemed to have done him a world of good - he cracked two fours off Pankaj - but against the run of play he fell to his favourite shot, a pull off Aaron for 17. Southampton centurions <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ian-bell/3001/3048">Ian Bell</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gary-ballance/3001/73003">Gary Ballance</a> took over and played with authority. Both took a specific liking towards Pankaj, who conceded 50 runs off his 11 overs. 
 
With run-scoring becoming easy with every over bowled, Dhoni introduced Ashwin in the 21st over. Bell welcomed him by dancing down the wicket and hitting him over his head for the first six of the English innings. Bell pounced on anything slightly short and made most of anything offered on his pads. Ballance and Bell added 77 runs before Aaron would strike again, this time trapping the dangerous Ballance (87 balls, 4x6) leg before for 37 in the final over of the day. Nightwatchman Jordan (0) and Bell (45) were at the crease when stumps were drawn.

England Build After Broad Dismantles India

In coloured clothing and with the white ball, Indian team is a transformed unit. Wednesday provided ample proof of that as they outclassed England in the second ODI at Cardiff by 133 runs to take 1-0 lead in the five-match series. 
 
Click here for <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/live-score/eng-vs-ind/enin08272014174401/quickview">Scorecard </a>| <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/live-score/eng-vs-ind/enin08272014174401/commentary">Commentary</a> 
 
Chasing 305, England's target was revised after rain delayed their reply. By the time the opening pair of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alex-hales/3001/3110">Alex Hales</a> had walked in, their target was reset to 295 in 47 overs by Duckworth-Lewis method. They began well, swiftly going past 50 runs in 10 overs. However, the 11th over, bowled by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>, changed it all as England lost two wickets in it. First, Cook (19) was trapped in front, although he can consider himself a bit unlucky for the ball had pitched outside leg and then for some reason, Ian Bell (1) left a straight delivery that hit his off-stump. Next man in Joe Root (4) departed quickly after being cleaned up by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a>. 
 
Hales (40), making his debut, unleashed himself as per his reputation and kept finding boundaries regularly early on. However, the fall of wickets in quick succession bogged him down as he went inside a shell as runs dried up – both for the 25-year-old and the England team. With the required run-rate climbing, someone had to open up and in his endeavour to look for quick runs, Hales was caught by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">R Ashwin</a> off <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> in the 21st over with England sliding to 81/4. 
 
Those that followed failed to make any impact with the Indian bowlers calling the shots, striking at regular interval. The team that dominated their guests in an imposing fashion in the longer formats, submitted meekly losing by 133 runs. For India, Jadeja starred with the bowl picking 4/28 while Shami and Ashwin took two wickets apiece. 
 
Earlier, a strokeful, chanceless century from <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/suresh-raina/4001/4059">Suresh Raina</a> helped India to 304/6. Raina scored 100 (75, 12X4, 3X6) while building a century stand worth 144 runs with <keyword id="1411" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="captain">captain</keyword> <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> (52) as India recovered from early shocks to post a strong total. India were off to a shaky, nervous start after Cook inserted them in. The visitors were troubled by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-anderson/3001/3040">James Anderson</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/chris-woakes/3001/3098">Chris Woakes</a> early on as they tested them with pace and swing. The first two overs were played safely through without a run being scored. Both the India openers <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>, though, opened their account with a boundary each but looked unconvincing in a slow start. Dhawan (11) seemed to carry his poor form from the Test series into the ODIs after edging Chris Woakes to wicketkeeper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/jos-buttler/3001/3111">Jos Buttler</a> in the eighth over. In the same over, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> was out for a duck after his eagerness to dictate terms from the word go saw him dancing down the track for an uppish drive which went straight into the hands of Cook. 
 
India were 19/2 and off to an ominous start. Considering how they reacted in such scenarios during the Test series, only worse was expected from them. But Rohit and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a> calmed the nerves, settling in nicely, building a 91-run stand that revived the innings. Rahane played some lovely strokes and looked set for a big one but one moment of sluggishness got the better of him as he was stumped off <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/james-tredwell/3001/3096">James Tredwell</a> for 41 in the 24th over. On the other hand, Rohit's innings was a combination of some classy batting and few irresponsible strokes. He was beaten on numerous occasions but was lucky enough to not nick them. Four boundaries and a six off a free-hit helped him to a fifty before Woakes at mid-off caught his miscued shot off Tredwell. 
 However, the highlight of the innings was the partnership between captain <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword> and Raina that lifted the Indians as the duo unfurled a flurry of strokes with the latter taking the centrestage. India managed just 26 runs besides losing two wickets in the first powerplay but with Raina and Dhoni they clobbered 62 in the second. Raina eventually departed after being caught in the deep by Anderson off Woakes. 
 
 
 
Raina had set the tone early in his knock scoring a boundary off his third delivery. He sent the ball past the boundary line regularly with the shot of his innings being a straight hit over Woakes' head for a six. Even Anderson, the wrecker-in-chief during the Test series, wasn't spared as Raina flayed him for three successive fours in the 40th over. He assessment and judgement of the deliveries was spot on and it was his innings that helped India to post a score in excess of 300. 
 
England bowlers started well, bowling the right line and length exploiting the favourable conditions well after winning the all important toss. Woakes had taken two wickets while allowing just eight runs in his first spell of five overs. His was aptly rewarded for his accuracy all throughout, finishing with 4/52. However, as the innings progressed, with the batsman settling in, the England bowlers lost the grip. The biggest culprit of the slide being Chris Jordan who leaked 73 in 10 wicketless overs including one in which he bowled five wides. Tredwell also bowled decently for his 2/42 in 10 overs. 
 
Brief Scores: India 304/6 (Raina 100, Dhoni 52, Rohit 52; Woakes 4/52) beat England 161 (Hales 40; Jadeja 4/28, Shami 2/32) by 133 runs.

Raina, Spinners Deliver Emphatic Cricket Win In England

The Oval is the venue where the final Test of the English summer is played. In the current series between <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/england/3001/home">England</a> and India, England hold the upper hand, having won convincingly in Southampton and Old Trafford. India, on the other hand, have lost all momentum after their victory at Lord's. If they have to salvage something in this series, then they need to win at The Oval to turn the corner in performances outside of the subcontinent. 
 
Traditionally, The Oval is considered a flat deck even though it gives ample assistance to spinners. India's record at this venue is a bit of a mixed game. This was here that they won their first Test in England in 1971, a victory that sealed their first series win in the country. But victory has eluded them since. At the start of the 21st century, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/india/4001/home">India</a> have played three Tests and drawn two. This table gives the W/L ratio of the teams at The Oval. 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				TEAM</th>
			<th>
				SPAN</th>
			<th>
				MATCHES</th>
			<th>
				WON</th>
			<th>
				LOST</th>
			<th>
				DRAWN</th>
			<th>
				W/L RATIO</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				PAKISTAN</td>
			<td>
				1954-2010</td>
			<td>
				9</td>
			<td>
				4</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				2</td>
			<td>
				1.33</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				WEST INDIES</td>
			<td>
				1928-2004</td>
			<td>
				16</td>
			<td>
				6</td>
			<td>
				7</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				0.85</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				AUSTRALIA</td>
			<td>
				1880-2013</td>
			<td>
				36</td>
			<td>
				6</td>
			<td>
				16</td>
			<td>
				14</td>
			<td>
				0.37</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				INDIA</td>
			<td>
				1936-2011</td>
			<td>
				11</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				7</td>
			<td>
				0.33</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				NEW ZEALAND</td>
			<td>
				1931-1999</td>
			<td>
				9</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				4</td>
			<td>
				4</td>
			<td>
				0.25</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SOUTH AFRICA</td>
			<td>
				1907-2012</td>
			<td>
				14</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				6</td>
			<td>
				7</td>
			<td>
				0.16</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SRI LANKA</td>
			<td>
				1998-1998</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
India have a better W/L ratio here than the current No.1 ranked team in Tests. South Africa, who have won only one Test in 14 attempts, achieved victory only in 2012, their first at this venue since they started playing at The Oval 105 years ago. Among all visiting teams, Pakistan have the best W/L ratio, having not lost at this venue since 1967*. 
 
*There is a dispute regarding the result of the 2006 match. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/pakistan/7001/home">Pakistan</a> have called for the match to be drawn while the match has been awarded to England due to Pakistan's refusal to play. 
 
Spin vs pace at The Oval 
 
This table showcases the amount of wickets taken by spin and pace. The first table is from the 2000-2007 period while the second is between 2008 until August 2014. 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				BOWLING TYPE</th>
			<th>
				WICKETS TAKEN</th>
			<th>
				AVERAGE</th>
			<th>
				FIVE WKT HAUL</th>
			<th>
				10 WKT HAUL</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				PACE</td>
			<td>
				62</td>
			<td>
				32.07</td>
			<td>
				2</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SPIN</td>
			<td>
				42</td>
			<td>
				42.53</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				2</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				BOWLING TYPE</th>
			<th>
				WICKETS TAKEN</th>
			<th>
				AVERAGE</th>
			<th>
				FIVE WKT HAUL</th>
			<th>
				10 WKT HAUL</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				PACE</td>
			<td>
				61</td>
			<td>
				28.19</td>
			<td>
				3</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				SPIN</td>
			<td>
				44</td>
			<td>
				24.06</td>
			<td>
				1</td>
			<td>
				0</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 If you compare the performance in both periods, then the first period is dominated by pace in all aspects. In the second period, although pace has taken more wickets, the spinners have chipped regularly thus giving them a better average. <keyword id="17439" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shane-Warne">Shane Warne</keyword> and <keyword id="62118" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Graeme-Swann">Graeme Swann</keyword> topped the bowling charts in the first and second time periods respectively. However, the pacers have held their own at this venue, suggesting that the wicket is a bit of a mixed bag. There will be assistance for both spinners and pacers and team composition will play a huge role for both teams. 
 
Batters paradise 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				AVERAGE OF BATSMEN AT THE OVAL 2008-2014</th>
			<th>
				81.41</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				AVERAGE OF BATSMEN AT THE OVAL 2000-2007</td>
			<td>
				62.36</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				NUMBER OF FIFTIES/HUNDREDS AT THE OVAL IN 2008-2014</th>
			<th>
				8/7</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				NUMBER OF FIFTIES/HUNDREDS AT THE OVAL IN 2000-2007</td>
			<td>
				9/6</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
If one has to compare the batting average of The Oval with its northern neighbour, Lord's, it is significantly higher. From 2008 to 2014, the average of batsmen is over 80, the most for an England venue. Batsmen have always feasted at this venue. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kevin-pietersen/3001/3050">Kevin Pietersen</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/alastair-cook/3001/3056">Alastair Cook</a> have two hundreds at this venue, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ian-bell/3001/3048">Ian Bell</a> has a highest score of 235 while <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/hashim-amla/8001/8034">Hashim Amla</a> scored South Africa's first individual triple-hundred at this venue. <keyword id="2727" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Dravid">Rahul Dravid</keyword> has an average of 110.75 in four Tests at this venue. The batting average and the number of fifties/centuries scored at this venue has been fairly consistent across both time periods. 
 
Average innings score at The Oval 
 
<table class="tableizer-table">
	<tbody>
		<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
			<th>
				TEAM INNINGS</th>
			<th>
				AVERAGE</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				1ST INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				406</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				2ND INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				356</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				3RD INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				245</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				4TH INNINGS</td>
			<td>
				234</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
 
Looking at the statistics, the team that bats first and puts up a big total on the board has the advantage at this venue. The pitch is excellent for batting on the first two days and then it starts to crumble. Batting has traditionally not been easy in the third or fourth innings at this venue and both teams will be vary of this fact. 
 
County trends at The Oval 
 Surrey are the county side that play their home first-class games at The Oval in Division 2. At the start of the summer in April, the UK was under the midst of a wet spell and that had spiced up the pitches that were used in the venue. In Surrey's first game against Glamorgan, no side managed to go past 300, with Surrey getting blown away for 81 in the second innings thanks to a haul of 6/29 from <keyword id="2472321" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Graham-Wagg">Graham Wagg</keyword>. Surrey went on to lose the match by 10 wickets. 
 
In the next match against Essex, rain played spoilsport but both teams managed to score in excess of 250 as the match was drawn. Their next encounter against Gloucestershire was a low-scoring thriller with both teams getting bowled out for under 200. Set 267 for victory on a difficult wicket, Surrey chased it down thanks to Graeme Smith's 103 as they won the match by four wickets. In that match, Chris Tremlett picked up 6/59. 
 
In the game against Worcestershire, Surrey were blown away by <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/moeen-ali/3001/3153">Moeen Ali</a>'s 162 but the home team held on for a draw despite following on. Surrey achieved their first 500-plus score for the first time at home this season against Leicestershire as they won the match by 10 wickets. Another high-scoring draw ensued against Hampshire after Surrey racked up 474. 
 In the game against Kent, they were outplayed by a haul of 9/178 from <keyword id="159148" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Darren-Stevens">Darren Stevens</keyword> as they lost the match. Kent had notched up 408 and Surrey responded with 398. In the second innings, Kent managed 292 and Surrey folded up for 213. 
 
The trend that can be established from this is that the pitches employed at The Oval this season have gotten better. Teams are managing to score over 400 on a regular basis. The last match against Kent fits the normal Test wicket that The Oval normally produces. It is good for batting and crumbles away as the game wears on. 
 
Conclusion 
 
The situation confronting India is pretty similar to the one they faced against Australia in 1981. After losing the first Test, they drew the second and won the third to level the series. In England 2014, India are currently trailing 1-2 and a win will go a long way in salvaging some pride for them. With their overseas record deteriorating and with all top players under immense pressure, India can take a leaf out of their opponents book by performing like they did in 2003. Against South Africa at The Oval in 2003, a double-ton from Marcus Trescothick and a fine bowling display helped England finish the summer on a high by drawing the series 2-2. That win was the revival of their cricketing fortunes. India will be hoping that a win in 2014 at this venue sparks off a similar trend.

India Look To Revive Good Memories At The Oval

It's just getting worse and worse for India. After the ignominy of Southampton, they have yet again succumbed to a crushing defeat against England at Manchester. They now trail England 1-2 in the five-match series. Gocricket.com takes a look at how each member of the Indian team fared at Old Trafford. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay </a> It seems ages ago when <keyword id="57265" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Murali-Vijay">Murali Vijay</keyword> impressed everyone with his defiant knocks in the first two Tests at Trent Bridge and Lord's. At Manchester he scored a total of 18 runs including a duck in the first innings. He was at the receiving end of a peach of a delivery from James Anderson in the first innings and in the second, fell to Chris Woakes. His slump has come at a wrong time. Among all the specialist Indian batsmen on the tour, he has been one of the two brightest spots. With the other openers failing, he needs to get his touch back if India hope to do well in the fourth Test. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/4001/4043">Gautam Gambhir </a> Questions were raised when Gambhir was selected for the England tour as a reserve opener. Those questions were put to rest when the first choice opener in <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword> failed. The reasons, for which he lost his place in the national side, seem to be valid even today. A batsman of his repute, on his return to international cricket after almost two years, should perform but he could muster only 22 runs in two innings. Both the times he fell to short deliveries. In the first innings, his dismissal brought back memories of the 2011 tour of England when he repeatedly was caught in the slip cordon and his second dismissal left everyone frustrated as he needlessly gloved one from Anderson to be caught by the wicketkeeper. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a> He was the second Indian batsmen to be out for a duck in the first dig after <keyword id="52757" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Stuart-Broad">Stuart Broad</keyword> lured him to edge one to Chris Jordan in the slips. In the second innings, he was a bit unlucky to be given out lbw as replays showed the ball from Moeen Ali was missing the leg stump. He managed 17. His technique on seaming, pacy tracks is under intense scrutiny after yet another failure. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a> 
Seems Kohli is not willing to learn and improve. People have lost count of the number of times his weakness against outside off deliveries has been exploited England bowlers. He is the designated superstar of a star-studded Indian line-up. But where is that performance? In both the innings, Anderson got the better of him. He scored a duck in the first and managed seven in the second before pushing at a delivery that went safely into the hands of Ian Bell at second slip. Someone needs to tell him that he need not go after every delivery, especially those outside off. Let better sense prevail. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane </a> 
Smile is infectious. Replace 'smile' with 'failure' for Rahane. When everyone around him seems to be hell bent on playing loose, rash strokes, could he have avoided playing one of his own? Yes. But he couldn't. In the first innings with his team in dire straits, he gifted Chris Jordan his wicket after scoring 24 in a partnership with captain Dhoni that gave a flickering hope of a recovery. In the second, another loose shot put him on the way back to the dressing room after he had managed a single. All we can hope is that his failure at Manchester is just a one-off incident. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> 
Dhoni's knock of 71 runs in the first innings will be counted among his best in Tests. When everything around him crumbled, he was the lone warrior before he pulled one that ended his fight. In the second, he again saved India from the ignominy of being bowled out for double figures. However, his wicketkeeping and captaincy was questionable. Not utilising bowlers effectively apart from his performance behind the stumps is not helping the team. After the low of Southampton, it was expected that he would rejig things. But, under his watch, India slipped further into the abyss. Lord's is a distant memory now for him and the Indian fans. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a> 
Anderson has gained much out of his spat with India allrounder Jadeja. The Englishman has flourished. On the other hand, Jadeja's only significant contribution was trapping Anderson after being meted out a similar treatment by the pacer in India's first innings. He took one wicket in the entire match and scored four runs including a 14-ball duck in the first innings. His pairing with R Ashwin on Indian tracks is deadly. In England where Moeen Ali has trapped India in a web of spin, he has been nothing short of ordinary. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a> 
Bhuvneshwar continues to toil hard and he is reaping rewards for his efforts. He seems to be the only member of the Indian team who is aware of his limitations and is taking the most out of his abilities. He took three wickets at Manchester where England batted once. Two of those (Sam Robson and Bell) were a result of some wonderful bowling. He has lost his 'midas touch' with the bat as scores of 0 and 10 would suggest. But he cannot be expected to hide the failures of the batsmen every single time. His job is to bowl, not score runs. Unfortunately he has been forced to do the additional job as well and the effect is the dip in his intensity. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron</a> 
Back in the team after a gap of almost three years, Aaron impressed with his lively pace. He bowled consistently above 140 km/hr and occasionally troubled the batsmen with his bounce. The delivery with which he cleaned up Moeen Ali was one of the few moments to cherish for India from the Test. He picked 3/97 in 26 overs and made an impressive return, although straying away on occasions. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">R Ashwin</a> 
Include Ashwin and things will get better was the mantra after the loss at Southampton for India. He was selected and bowled well but went wicketless even as his counterpart (Moeen) ended with four scalps. However, it was his batting that was much talked about. He put to shame the Indian top order in both the innings. In the first his 40 runs took the team past 150 runs and he followed it with an unbeaten 46 which was the highest score by any Indian batsman in the second dig. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a> 
His painful wait for a wicket finally ended on the third day when he removed Joe Root for 77. He, again, started well but his workhorse attitude didn't translate into anything significant. On a pitch where England bowlers murdered Indian batting, his efforts at best can be summed up as below par. He bowls well but not good enough that will force the selectors to give him an extended run. Mind you – he is bowling in helpful conditions and not on lifeless subcontinent tracks. If <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a> gets fit, Pankaj, who took two wickets in the Test, will surely sit out at The Oval.

A Report Card Of India's Defeat At Manchester

Following an embarrassing 3-1 defeat to England, Gocricket.com has the Indian players' report cards ready here. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shikhar-dhawan/4001/28004">Shikhar Dhawan</a>: 5/10 
 Dhawan was India's highest run-scorer in the two-Test series against New Zealand with 215 from four innings. However, the Delhi batsman couldn't create the same impact against England: he managed 122 runs at an average of 20 with a highest of 37. His technical flaws were widely exposed by <keyword id="80896" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="James-Anderson">James Anderson</keyword>, who gave Dhawan a tough time outside the offstump. While he looked good in patches during his innings of 29 at Trent Bridge, 31 at Lord's and 37 at The Ageas Bowl, he couldn't convert them into anything productive. Most of his dismissals came in the initial part of the innings which dented India's hopes of getting off to a decent start. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/murali-vijay/4001/4102">Murali Vijay</a>: 7/10 
 
Dhawan's opening partner got off to a start few imagined him to. His 146 at Trent Bridge was his fourth century in Tests and first in England. He followed it up with consecutive half-centuries - 52 in the second innings and 95 at Lord's - but lost his bearings thereafter. In the next seven innings, Vijay made just 109 runs and his average - which at one point in the series touched 80 - dropped to 40.20. He wasn't troubled much at Trent Bridge and Lord's but in Southampton, Vijay was unlucky to play on and get run out. It was at Old Trafford and The Oval that he looked out of sorts, throwing his bat at away-going deliveries and flummoxed by those that darted in. A decent series all in all, but it could have been better. Considering the way his team-mates performed, Vijay was one of the few positives for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Gautam Gambhir</a>: 0/10 
 
Returning after an 18-month absence, Gambhir showed so signs of improvement. He was the most unconvincing among the Indian batsmen. His replacing Dhawan for the last two Tests raised many eyebrows. He remained persistent with his tendency to poke at balls outside offstump and looked like a sitting duck in each innings. An edge to gully, a run-out and a caught behind while trying to leave the ball, such dismissals indicate that Gambhir may have played his last Test for India. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/cheteshwar-pujara/4001/4106">Cheteshwar Pujara</a>: 4/10 
 
Pujara has endured one of the toughest series of his young career. He started off well with scores of 38, 55, 28 and 43 but Southampton, much like it did for India, led to his downward spiral. He had problems with the incoming delivery and even his rock-solid forward defence couldn't come to his rescue. Pujara was out caught behind on six occasions and fell prey to Moeen Ali's offspin twice. With a total of just 222 runs in 10 innings, India's No 3 looked very shaky. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/virat-kohli/4001/25007">Virat Kohli</a>: 2/10 
 
The first real forgettable tour for India's most prolific batsman of the current era. The fact that Kohli couldn't score even a single half-century in 10 innings speaks volumes about his failure. With 134 runs at an average of 13.40, statistically he is India's worst batsman on tour. James Anderson had his number throughout the series, dismissing him four times. Kohli was twice out without troubling the scorers and the cobwebs in his head were clearly visible. Twice he was dismissed offering no shot - bowled by Liam Plunkett at Lord's and out lbw to Chris Jordan at The Oval. 
 
Apart from his batting, his goof-ups in the slip cordon added to Kohli's woes. A gloomy series like this can be excused, especially after the string of success he has experienced, but Kohli must realise that a major chunk of India's batting revolves around him. His getting back among the runs is crucial if India are to have any chances in Australia later this year. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ajinkya-rahane/4001/32045">Ajinkya Rahane</a>: 7/10 
 
Another example of a batsman who squandered away a decent beginning. Rahane, in only his second Test in England, registered his name on the Lord's Honours Board, courtesy a match-winning century on day one to revive India splendidly. Two fifties followed in Southampton but the promising run was brought to a halt in the last two Tests with Rahane managing 21, 4, 0 and 1. He showed a lot of promise with 299 runs at 33.22 and but the team needs more from him. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/stuart-binny/4001/31034">Stuart Binny</a>: 2/10 
 
Much was said about Binny after his selection in the 18-member squad, and as it would turn out, he was another hyped-up player. His only substantial knock came at Trent Bridge - a match-saving 78 in the second innings. He played a horrible shot in the first innings at Lord's and his credentials of an allrounder also took a big blow as he struggled with the ball and went wicketless in all three Tests he got. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/4001/4057">MS Dhoni</a>: Batting 7.5/10, Captaincy 5/10 
 While <keyword id="6397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoni">Dhoni</keyword> the batsman raised his game in England, Dhoni the captain was another major setback in away matches. With four half-centuries in five matches, the India skipper had one of his best overseas series. His 82 at Trent Bridge was followed by 50 in Southampton where his biggest slip was falling early on day four when India needed him to stay in the middle. At Old Trafford and The Oval, his innings of 71 and 82 were one of only three Indian scores in double digits as the rest of the batsmen crumbled around him. 
 Dhoni's captaincy though looked lifeless yet again. His five-bowler strategy never really came to India's aid, and the decision to ignore Ishwar Pandey raised questions. After leading India to their fifth consecutive overseas series loss, this might mark the end of the road for Dhoni the <keyword id="195040" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Test-captain">Test captain</keyword>. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravindra-jadeja/4001/32004">Ravindra Jadeja</a>: 5/10 
 
Despite the fact that he and Anderson kept on getting each other out, Jadeja's only meaningful contribution came in the second Test at Lord's, where his counter-attacking fifty set the game up in favour of India. With the ball, he was inconsistent. His wickets either were down to poor shots or the need for quick runs. Ian Bell and Jos Buttler took him apart in Southampton, where he was either too short or generous down the legside. Jadeja remains a strong contender at home but a doubtful starter for away matches. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/rohit-sharma/4001/4095">Rohit Sharma</a>: 1/10 
 
Our very own flat-track bully was drafted into the team at The Ageas Bowl in place of Binny and what did he do? Played a silly shot to Ali in the first innings and fell early on day five to Anderson in the second. Might be a cinch to play on Indian wickets, but his modes of dismissal are only worsening his case of playing abroad. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ravichandran-ashwin/4001/26007">Ravichandran Ashwin</a>: 6/10 
 
Ashwin managed to surprise in a role-reversal of sorts. While at Old Trafford he impressed one and all with his batting, The Oval saw Ashwin get back among the wickets. He forged a 66-run partnership with Dhoni for the seventh wicket in the fourth Test and played textbooks shots. Ashwin played second fiddle to Dhoni, who at the other end took calculated risks. Ashwin scored 46 in the second innings as India went down by an innings and 54 runs. At The Oval, Ashwin finally took his first wicket since 2012 and his 3/72 kept things tight. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/bhuvneshwar-kumar/4001/25023">Bhuvneshwar Kumar</a>: 8/10 
 
The conditions in England were supposed to ideal for Bhuvneshwar's style of bowling and he proved the theory right with figures of 5/82 and 6/82 in the first two Tests. But as soon as the English batsmen came into their own, the Uttar Pradesh bowler was a tired figure out in the middle. Once the batsmen negotiated with his early movement, scoring became easy. And even though in the third and fourth Test he took 3/101 and 3/75, Bhuvneshwar lacked support at the other end. 
 
To see him bat nicely in the series was a pleasant surprise. Scores of 63, 58 and 52 in the first three innings of the series were an added bonus for the team. With 19 wickets at 26.63 and 247 runs at 27.44, Bhuvneshwar had a series to remember. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ishant-sharma/4001/4094">Ishant Sharma</a>: 7/10 
 
Ishant was supposed to spearhead the Indian attack in England and many believed that the win at Lord's - where he took a career best 7/74 - had finally established Ishant as India's premier fast bowler. But an unlikely injury after the historic triumph was a case of bad luck for India. And when Ishant came back, it was fairly evident that he wasn't the same bowler who etched his name of on the Lord's Honours Board. At The Oval, he was predictably short and Stuart Broad took the attack to him despite batting with a broken nose. Ishant looked a bit ragged in his 4/96. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/varun-aaron/4001/30019">Varun Aaron: 5/10</a> 
 
The Jharkhand fast bowler made a return to Tests after December 2011 with plenty of calls for his inclusion for the fourth Test, in Ishant's absence. And even though he dismissed Ali with a peach of a delivery and broke Broad's nose, Aaron was mostly erratic, wasting energy on bowling far too many short balls. He bagged five wickets at an average of 50 - which included him conceding runs at over five an over at The Oval. But there is no doubt that he caught a few eyes with his pace. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/pankaj-singh/4001/4100">Pankaj Singh</a>: 4/10 
 Known as a workhorse in domestic circuit, Pankaj bowled with a lot of heart in Southampton after getting a debut in place of an injured Ishant. He was unlucky twice after Jadeja put down <keyword id="9234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Alastair-Cook">Alastair Cook</keyword> in the first session followed by an umpiring error that reprieved Bell. Pankaj finally tasted success after toiling for 47 overs in Southampton and almost 23 overs in Manchester, where he bowled bad balls too frequently and went over four an over. 
 
<a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mohammed-shami/4001/30030">Mohammed Shami</a>: 2/10 
 
Shami bowled with good pace in three Tests but was overall ordinary. His five wickets in the series came every 115 deliveries and at the cost of 73.20 runs. But with the next series taking place against the West Indies, he might return on the basis of what he did against them last year.

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