Stick Cricket - Indian report card

"Anil Kumble: B+
Captain by default, Kumble displayed the toughness in leadership that India has for so long lacked – a stark contrast from the aloofness of Ganguly and timidness of Dravid. His gritty efforts with the bat saw India pile on valuable late-order runs, while he was India’s leading wicket-taker. At times a little defensive, Kumble was reluctant to bowl himself, the main downside of his captaincy. With the bat, he fell short of a second Test century at Adelaide with a slightly selfish 87. Nevertheless, 179 runs at 30 and 20 wickets at 34 ensured his contributions remained important for the Indian cause.

VVS Laxman: B+
In full flight, VVS is, for mine, the most beautiful batsman in the world to watch. A consistent series here featured a lovely century in Sydney and a couple of fifties, but also a frustrating tendency to give away his wicket when set – most notably in Perth where a needless hoik went down mid-off’s throat. At other times, the trademark wristy flicks and flowing cover drives were unparalleled in elegance by any other player all series. His generally safe hands in the slips yielded five catches.

Ishant Sharma: B+
The find of the series, Instant Karma’s rating does not take his youth and inexperience into account. Nicknamed ‘Lambu’, or ‘the tall one"