India v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test: Indian Player Ratings

A relatively weaker Lankan side were up against a strong Indian contingent, but no one knew the latter would blast the opposition so easily. India registered a thumping 3-0 victory in the series with all the big players contributing to the task and making skipper Kohli’s job a lot more easier. The final Test was a proper icing on the cake for India and perfect pinch on the pimple for the hosts.

The visitors finished the third Test inside three days and this should boost the confidence of various individuals in the side who are fighting for a place in the side. Here are the Indian player ratings for the third Test, which symbolizes how spectacular most of them have been in the last three days.

Player ratings

KL Rahul – 7.5/10

KL Rahul seems to be enjoying international cricket more than anyone else. He registered yet another half-century in the first innings but again failed to register three digits. He scored 85 off 135 balls and added 188 for the opening wicket with Dhawan.

Shikhar Dhawan – 8/10

The southpaw’s dream run is just getting better and better. Shikhar Dhawan registered his 6th Test century in the first innings and scored those runs in no time. He could easily have scored more runs, but once again he fell soon after scoring a hundred. He smashed 119 off 123 balls with 17 boundaries.

Cheteshwar Pujara – 5/10

Not a great game at all for the man who tends to meditate with the willow once he sets himself up. Pujara fell quickly with the bat but looked good on the field. Other than holding on to a simple catch in the second innings, he barely had anything to do in the game.

Virat Kohli – 6.5/10

The Indian skipper got a good start in the first innings but failed to convert it to a big one. Kohli marshalled his troops quite brilliantly and the Lankans had absolutely no answer to his tactics and bowling changes.

 Ajinkya Rahane – 5/10

Similar to that of Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane was struggling to find his feet with the bat. He battled hard for some time but eventually was dismissed by Pushpakumara.

Wriddhiman Saha – 6.5/10

Not a great outing with the bat for the 32-year-old, but Saha was kept very busy behind the stumps. He was directly involved in 5 dismissals and was spectacular with gloves on, especially when the fast bowlers were making life difficult for the batters.

Ravichandran Ashwin – 7/10

Mesmerizing as always, Ravichandran Ashwin once again spun the web and caught the Lankans in his stranglehold. He picked 6 wickets, two in the first innings and four in the second. He also tried to guide India out of trouble when they lost quick wickets and scored a 31 crucial runs.

Hardik Pandya – 9/10

Pandya registered his first Test hundred and he did it in some style. He added 66 runs for the 10th wicket with Umesh Yadav and scored 63 out of it. He was brutal against the spinners, especially Pushpakumara and onslaught took India close to 500 out of nowhere. He picked up the prized scalp of Mathews in the first innings as well and was brilliant on the field.

Kuldeep Yadav – 7/10

The Chinaman did manage to have an impact on the game and provided some amazing moments with the ball. He picked 5 wickets in the match, out of which four came in the first innings. He and Hardik Pandya stitched a crucial stand as well, which helped them escape a diabolical situation.

Umesh Yadav – 6/10

Got to bowl just 3 overs in the first innings, but looked brilliant in the second innings and really terrorized the batsmen with his pace. He picked up two crucial wickets in the second innings as well.

Mohammad Shami – 7/10

He seems to get better and better with every passing day. The Lankan batsmen found it incredibly difficult to cope with him. He picked the wickets of both the openers in the first innings and followed it up with 3 wickets in the second. He mixed his length well and that troubled Chandimal and his men a lot.