India's player ratings for Test cricket in 2016

Virat Kohli scored 3 double-centuries in 2016

Cheteshwar Pujara – 8.5

It was a season of reckoning for India’ s #3 batsman as the team management were divided over his place in the side. Matters only became worse when he started the year in poor fashion in the Caribbean, where he didn’ t even manage a half-century.

But after a strong showing in the Duleep trophy, he was given the backing for the home Tests and he absolutely thrived. He ended the year as India’s second highest run-getter with 3 hundreds and 4 50s, all in his final 8 Test matches. He will be India’s #3 for years to come.

Virat Kohli – 10

What a sensational year for Virat Kohli. Not only has he emerged as a better batsman, but a better leader and a bonafide superstar in the world of cricket. Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. This was his year.

He scored his first double-hundred against the Windies, and added one each in the series’ against the Kiwis and the English. He was India’s highest run-getter with nearly 400 runs more than the second placed Pujara. He also broke Sunil Gavaskar’s record of longest unbeaten streak as captain when his team beat England in Chennai, their 18^th straight undefeated game.

Ajinkya Rahane – 7.5

Strange year for the Mumbai born batsman. Everything seemed to be going well, almost as if it was following a script as he displayed remarkable consistency in the first-half of the year. He was doing a sterling job as India’ s vice-captain as well.

Then came the series against England where he struggled before getting injured. Suddenly people were questioning his place with the squad, and with the emergence of Karun Nair and the imminent return of Rohit Sharma, he will have to battle to keep his spot in the team in 2017.

Rohit Sharma – 7

Rohit will be wondering what he has to do to nail down a spot in the Test squad. After failing in the Windies, he finally made his mark in the series against New Zealand, where he scored a half-century in each of the three Tests.

Then disaster struck. Injury struck ahead of the 5-match Test series against England and then Karun Nair scored a triple-century in just his 3^rd Test. It has always been a battle for Rohit, but it has never been this hard.

Wriddhiman Saha – 7.5

The man from Bengal is another who will be cursing his untimely injury. He played India’s first 9 Tests in the year, and maintained an average of over 40 with a century and two half-centuries. He was also handy behind the stumps, but the emergence of the younger(!!) Parthiv Patel has cast a doubt over his role in the squad.

Notable mentions

Parthiv Patel – 6.5

He has done a sterling job since his unlikely return to the Test squad and has shown a commitment to the squad by doing whatever is needed of him. His weakness remains his work behind the stumps, and his battle with Saha for a spot will be one of the stories of 2017.

Karun Nair – 303*

India had played 11 Tests before the final Test in Chennai, but towards the fag end of the year, the Jodhpur-born Karun Nair absolutely stole the show with an unbeaten 303, becoming only the second Indian to breach the 300-run barrier. He has given the selection committee all kinds of headaches for the coming year.