![Devdutt Padikkal and Shubman Gill during India vs Sri Lanka Test [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1787836416670_DevduttPadikkalShubmanGillIndiaSriLankaTest.jpg?type=hq)
Devdutt Padikkal and Shubman Gill during India vs Sri Lanka Test [Source: AFP]
India’s tour of Sri Lanka ended with a solid final-day performance from the hosts, forcing a draw in Colombo. This came after Shubman Gill enforced the follow on, leading by 213 runs at the end of the first innings on Day 4.
Courtesy of some high-quality performances from the likes of Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar, the series ended 1-0 in India’s favour. However, three centuries from Sonal Dinusha dampened the World Test Championship final hopes of the two-time finalists.
India are now fifth on the points table, with a 51.52 win percentage and high-profile series against New Zealand and Australia to be played.
As India used 12 players in the series, including a debutant, Saransh Jain, we take a brief look at the player ratings for the tour.
India player ratings after Test series win vs SL
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal- 4/10
Yashasvi Jaiswal has already played over 30 Tests for India, having impressed in almost every country he has played in. With the WTC final hopes hanging in the balance, expectations from the 24-year-old are high, especially in sub-continental conditions.
In three innings of the series, Jaiswal failed to score a fifty, despite getting a couple of starts. The southpaw finished the series with only 77 runs at an average of 25.66, with a high of 45 in the second Test.
Also Read: Watch- Shubman Gill Bowls, Hit For A Six! Gautam Gambhir Angrily Stares
2. KL Rahul- 7.5/10
KL Rahul entered the series after meticulous preparations for the spin-friendly conditions and reaped immediate rewards in the Galle Test. He scored 82(175) in the first innings, while also batting through cramps and backed it up with 35(47) in the second innings.
His 151*(256) partnership with Devdutt Padikkal set India up for a 462-run first innings total, subsequently helping India win the Test. In the second Test, Rahul started positively, with 18(33) on Day 1 but threw the wicket away to Lahiru Kumara and finished the series with 135 runs at an average of 45.
3. Devdutt Padikkal- 10/10
Devdutt Padikkal was one of the backup batters heading to Sri Lanka, but Sai Sudharsan’s injury layoff opened up a spot at number 3 for the 26-year-old. He pounced on the opportunity and made sure India are left with no choice but to bank on him for the all-important number 3 position for the foreseeable future.
Having scored 142* in the Tour Match against SLC XI, Padikkal carried on the momentum and racked up a marathon 167(230) in the first innings at Galle. He then scored 44(75) in the second innings to break more records as the new India number 3.
In the second Test, he picked up from where he left off and scored another 117(193) with 12 fours to his name, helping India go past 500 runs in a rain-affected Test.
4. Shubman Gill- 5/10
India captain Shubman Gill had a lacklustre series with the bat, where he threw away his start in the first innings at Galle, managing only 24 runs in two innings of the Test. In the next match, he looked very good for his 50 off 108 balls before giving away his wicket again.
On the captaincy front, Gill was proactive throughout the two Tests, with some inspired bowling changes and plans for the opposition. His leadership was on display in the first Test as India comprehensively beat Sri Lanka. But putting Sri Lanka in to follow on in the second Test backfired for the skipper, as the Lankans responded with 429/9 to draw the Test.
5. Rishabh Pant- 9/10
Regardless of the conditions and match situations, Rishabh Pant has been one of India’s standout batters in Test cricket for some time now. Similar was the case in this series, where he scored 168 runs in two Tests, with two fifties to his name.
Following his 39 in the first innings, he cruised to his 66(69) in the second innings at Galle, briskly taking India to a winning total. In Colombo, he batted through pain and got another 63(89) to set up a 500-run total. He also took 4 catches and inflicted two stumpings in the series.
6. Dhruv Jurel- 9/10
Dhruv Jurel started the series as the pure batter and had an immediate impact with 51(68) at number 6 in the first innings. He later went on to score his second Test century in the next match, finishing the series as India’s second-highest run scorer with 173 runs at 86.50.
In Pant’s absence, Jurel also kept wickets on Day 4 in Colombo and had 8 dismissals to his name in the series. Barring any surprises, he has cemented his place in the playing XI for the upcoming Tests.
7. Ravindra Jadeja- 6.5/10
The Indian stalwart, Ravindra Jadeja, went past his landmark 350 Test wickets during the Sri Lanka tour and became only the second Indian to achieve a double of 350+ wickets and 4000+ runs in Tests.
The left-arm spinner picked 8 wickets as India’s second-best bowler in the series. However, as the leader of the bowling attack, he did not manage to hold the game by the scruff of its neck and single-handedly win India the match. With the bat, he was not required to do much, but contributed with a 43-run knock in Galle.
8. Manav Suthar- 9/10
Recently turned 24, Manav Suthar had his breakout series against Sri Lanka after already picking a five-fer on debut against Afghanistan. In the first Test, he ripped through the opposition with 4/76 and 6/55 to stage a 165-run win, while also scoring a handy 33 runs.
He backed his performance with 6 more wickets in Colombo to become the leading wicket-taker of the series with 16 scalps at an average of 21.06. Overall, he outbowled the senior left-arm orthodox spinner in the team, Ravindra Jadeja, by a fair distance and was the best bowler across both Tests.
9. Kuldeep Yadav- 1/10
Kuldeep Yadav played only one match in the series, wherein he bowled 25 overs across both innings. He could only pick a solitary wicket in the first innings. Additionally, he also conceded at an economy rate of 4.12, which was considerably higher than the other Indian spinners.
10. Saransh Jain- 5/10
Saransh Jain received his India cap at 33 in the second Test at Colombo, replacing Kuldeep Yadav. He picked 2/69 in the first innings and followed it with 1/98 in the second and remained quite economical but did not do anything extraordinary in the match.
This could end up being his only Test, considering Washington Sundar would be back in the team for the next series.
11. Mohammed Siraj- 6/10
Considering the conditions, Mohammed Siraj was always supposed to have a role to stem Sri Lanka’s run-flow and give a few new-ball wickets in the series. He did his job decently, picking 4 wickets at an economy rate of 2.34 in 44 overs across four innings.
Notably, his pace looked a bit low in the second Test, which could be a cause for concern for India ahead of the New Zealand tour. He did not look injured, but as a sure-shot starter in Tests, India will need to keep an eye on his workload for the tour.
12. Prasidh Krishna- 7/10
Prasidh Krishna entered the series after an average Tour Match ahead of the series, which raised a lot of questions over his place in the squad. However, he fared well in both Tests, picking 7 wickets at an economy rate of 2.94 and an average of 24.57.
As a pacer bowling in Sri Lanka, he did a decent job, and most importantly, he had control over his lines and lengths, which is sometimes missing in his red-ball bowling.
Also Read: Shubman Gill Blames Pitch For India's 1st Loss In WTC After Enforcing Follow On
