9
Anil Kumble

20 wickets with a wicket every 54 balls and 179 runs at 30 do not reflect the entire story. For this series will be remembered for the way Anil Kumble captained the Indian team. After the surprise resignation of Rahul Dravid as captain it seemed for a while that MS Dhoni would be unfairly given the burden of the test team captaincy as well till common sense prevailed and the selectors saw the fact that a true leader had been present in the team all these years. The way Kumble handled himself through the Sydney fiasco, his handling of the young pace bowlers and the decision to bring back Sehwag have all but proved that Indian cricket will have a lot of stability and intelligence at the top for the next twenty four months.

8.5
Sachin Tendulkar:

There are some sportsmen who transcend trivialities such as rivalry, competition and nationality to be loved by fans all over. The manner in which Australian fans treated the little champion is not only an indicator of Sachin’s talent but also of the way he has carried himself over the past two decades. Sachin had a fabulous series with two hundreds and a couple of fifties but the failure to see out the last day in Sydney must still rankle him. There is talk that he might do another tour in 2012 and if he can somehow find the right balance between one-day and test cricket, who can knock the master out of the team.

8
RP Singh

Indian fans owe a big thank you to the coach and staff of Leicestershire. For it was at a short stint in the county that RP Singh was able to hone his action. The results since then have been remarkable. And 13 wickets at a strike rate of 54 in three test matches have proved that he has what it takes to succeed at this level. Whether he can stay fit remains to be seen.

Ishant Sharma

The find of the series! If you haven’t watched the way he troubled Ponting already do it now! Sharma reminds me a lot of Mohammed Asif; tall, lanky and the ability to hit the deck repeatedly. Again, the management and selectors will need to ensure that he doesn’t go the way of men like L Balaji and Asish Nehra or go through the same phase that Pathan did. A real talent and one for the future.

7.5
VVS Laxman

Laxman continued his fairy tale romance with the Australian bowling and the Sydney Cricket Ground. A glorious hundred and a couple of fine fifties defined Laxman’s series. There should be no more questions regarding his slot in the test squad. He has been If only India could play Australia all the time

7
Irfan Pathan

A wonderful return for the poster boy of Indian secularism and diversity. And its so good to see the smiles back. Pathan deserved the man of the match award for his performance at Perth but then the decision of the team to open with him in the final test just showed the incredible pressure that is always placed on his shoulders. His ideal position is 7 or 8 and he should continue there.

Virender Sehwag:

Sehwag could just be the Find of the series II. After a disappointing year, where he was left out of both the test and one-day sides, Sehwag was a surprise inclusion for the Australian series despite poor performances in domestic cricket. The brilliant 151 at Adelaide should just be the foundation for his second stint in international cricket. And the incredible maturity he showed could just mean that the second stint is just as successful as the first one.

6
Rahul Dravid:

Barring a fighting 93 at Perth which proved crucial in the final analysis, Rahul Dravid had a rather forgettable series. The Wall came undone more due to a mental barrier rather than incisive bowling. The series against South Africa will be crucial in order to prove the doubters wrong.

5.5
Sourav Ganguly:

235 runs in 4 matches at an average of 30 does not reflect the kind of form that Ganguly has been in. 2007 was a brilliant year for Dada but the failure to convert starts into big scores ensured that he had a very mixed series. Again, his exclusion from the one-day side is baffling considering the form he has been in but now that the selectors have made a decision, they should continue to back new blood in the shorter formats. Dada’s position in the test side is secure and he should definitely be around for another 18 months.

4.5
Harbhajan Singh:

All the talk post the series will revolve around racism controversy in the Sydney Test. Harbhajan has (rightly) been acquitted of all charges in the light of a lack of evidence (something Mike Procter conveniently overlooked). Harbhajan also played a couple of fine innings under pressure, something that will give him and the team management a lot of confidence. However, his continued lack of success with the ball will mean that there will be opportunities for youngsters like Piyush Chawla. Harbhajan might still be the better spinner but a wicket every 91 , 93 in 2006 and 2007 is enough evidence that he might benefit from a stint in domestic cricket or at the MAC spin foundation in Chennai. However, considering the packed schedule, it might just be that he will have to sort out the deficiencies in full view of the cricketing world.

MS Dhoni:

With the retirement of Adam Gilchrist, MS Dhoni’s position as the best wicket keeping batsman in the world is a lot more secure (South Africa’s Mark Boucher is nearing the end of his career as well). Donning the gloves, scoring fast hundreds and captaining the team is going to take a lot out of Dhoni and it will be up to the next coach and the board to ensure that one of India’s best talents doesn’t go to waste. Dhoni had a good series with the gloves but struggled to score runs and he will be looking to put that right in the shorter format.

3
Yuvraj Singh

A very disappointing first two tests when you consider the fact that Dravid was promoted to the openers slot in order to accommodate Yuvraj. The test hundred in Bangalore seems a long time back now and questions have been asked whether he has the game to step up to test cricket. Personally, I think he does but its going to be a year before he can break into the main eleven. How he performs in the one day series is going to be very interesting to watch.

Wasim Jaffer:

A very disappointing series for Wasim Jaffer and a return of 49 runs from six innings do not reflect his ability. Coming off a great 2007, more was expected from the Mumbai opener. But greater players have found Australia a tough frontier to conquer. Jaffer will do well to learn from Rahul Dravid who had a horrendous first tour of Australia in 1999 and yet came back to conquer the continent in 2003.