India survived a test of character in the second test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as they bounced backed after suffering a humiliating defeat in Adelaide. India won the second test by 8 wickets and have now levelled the series 1-1. They will play the third test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Jan 7. It is quite possible that this test might be shifted to the MCG due to the coronavirus outbreak in Sydney.
We take a look at the player ratings from the second test. We rank them from 0 to 10 based on their performance.
Player Ratings
M Agarwal (1/10): Was the senior opener in the side in the absence of R Sharma and did not deliver. He made 0 and 5 in the game and has shown some serious technical flaws that need to be fixed. With R Sharma back in the mix, it is highly likely that Agarwal is going to lose his place in the side for the third test and it is the right decision.
S Gill (7/10): Extremely impressive on debut making 45 from 65 balls in the first innings and remaining unbeaten in the second innings scoring 35 from 36 balls. He not only scored his runs at a fast pace but also showed good temperament and looks like he belongs on the big stage.
C Pujara (2/10): Will be terribly disappointed at how he played at the MCG as it was a great opportunity for him to make a big score. He made 17 in the first innings and 3 in the second innings. That performance is not good enough for Pujara or a number 3. He knows he needs to contribute more at the SCG especially with Kohli not present.
A Rahane (10/10): Played a match winning knock scoring 112 in the first innings after being run out by R Jadeja. He also remained unbeaten scoring 27 in the second innings to take India to victory. Rahane also impressed with his captaincy and will be keen to win at the SCG and get India to a 2-1 position.
H Vihari (2/10): should not have played this test match as the selectors should have replaced him with KL Rahul. They backed him and he failed scoring 21 in the first innings. That’s not good enough batting at number 5. The selectors are likely to give him another outing in the third test and it will be up to him to seize it or he could be out of contention with another failure.
R Pant (6/10): the selectors got it right here and Pant delivered. He only scored 29 runs in the first innings but he gave the innings momentum and scored his 29 runs at a strike rate of 72.5 and gave the innings momentum. He was also chirpy behind the stumps getting under M Wade’s skin.
R Jadeja (7/10): was a great selection call by the selectors and it gave Rahane a good bowling option once U Yadav went down in the second innings. Jadeja scored a valuable 57 in the first innings and sent down a total of 19 overs and took 3 wickets. A good all-round performance.
R Ashwin (8/10): Made 14 with the bat and was very good with the ball. He bowled a total of 61 overs in the game and took 5 wickets.
U Yadav (3/10): Bowled tight in the first innings and picked up 1 wicket in the second innings. He bowled just 3 overs in the second innings as he was ruled out due to a calf injury.
J Bumrah (8/10): Picked up 6 wickets in the game and troubled all of the Australian batsmen showing why he is one of the best fast bowlers in the world.
M Siraj (8/10): Did extremely well on debut and looks promising for India. He bowled a total of 36 overs and picked up 5 wickets.
