England v India - Hits and Flops

Joe Root - (Rating - 8 out of 10)

A world record 10th wicket stand with James Anderson, two hundreds, three fifties, 518 runs at an average of 103.60 - Joe Root was unstoppable in the Test series against India. While most of the England batters failed in the One-Dayers, Root was the only Englishman to score a hundred, which helped England to their only ODI win of the series at Headingley.

Suresh Raina - (Rating 7.5 out of 10)

Just after India's dismal outing in the Test series, the tourists were hoping for a turnaround of fortunes. Suresh Raina was the man to provide them that as his attacking hundred in the 2nd ODI set the tone for the limited-overs series. Not only was he good with the bat, Raina was tidy with the ball and electric on the field, and he was aptly named the Player of the Series.

Moeen Ali - (Rating 7.5 out of 10)

Indians are known to be good players of spin bowling, they said. Not according to Moeen Ali though, as the off-spinner picked up 19 Indian wickets at an average of 23 and a strike rate of 39 in the Test series. His career-best 6/67 in Southampton and the 4/39 in Manchester proved that he is not some part-time slow bowler brought on to give others some rest.

MS Dhoni - (Rating 6.5 out of 10)

The Indian skipper did not score a hundred in the Test series while Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay did. However, MS Dhoni was the only one to offer some resistance when the England pacers were breathing fire in the matches following the Lord's Test. Leading from the front, even as processions were happening at the other end, Dhoni compiled 4 half-centuries, fighting ones at that, en route to 349 runs in the five-match series.

James Anderson - (Rating 7.5 out of 10)

While he was mostly in the news for his alleged ugly spat with Ravindra Jadeja, James Anderson did not let that affect him as he had the Indian batsmen hopping to his tunes. Breaking one record after another, Anderson went on the finish the Test series with 25 scalps at an average of 20.60 and a strike rate of 47.8. While he was on top of his game in the Tests, he was not quite up to the mark in the ODIs. He picked up only 2 wickets in four games, at an average of 81.50 and an economy of 4.93.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar - (Rating 7.5 out of 10)

There was nothing Bhuvneshwar could do wrong when he started the Test series. Good performances with the ball and solid fifties with the bat, the seamer was having a dream series. However, his fortunes slightly dipped while India's pummeled after the Lord's Test. He finished with 19 wickets at 26.63, including 2 fifers while he scored 247 runs with the help of three fifties.

Gary Ballance - (Rating 7 out of 10)

Ishant Sharma - (Rating 7 out of 10)

The hero of the Lord's Test, Ishant Sharma single-handedly turned the match in India's favour when England were showing a lot of defiance, even entertaining thoughts off pulling off a victory. His spell of short-pitched bowling led to a domino effect as one England batsman followed another in the second innings of the second Test. A career-best 7/74 helped India secure a historic 95-run win at the HQ. However, an injury to the pacer meant that India lost their spearhead for the following two games. He played the final game at the Oval, but was not at his best and he ended the Test series with 14 wickets at 27.21.

In Jonathan Trott's absence, England were hoping for an ideal replacement for the number 3 position. Gary Ballance put his hands up and came out with flying colours. With the help of two hundreds and two half-centuries, Ballance managed 503 runs at an average of 71.85.

He did not have the best of starts and it probably had to do with his long-standing knee problem as Stuart Broad struggled to find rhythm in the initial part of the Test series. However, his ability to come up with an outstanding spell out of the blue was on display at Old Trafford. His 6/25 in the first innings in the 4th Test laid the platform for England's unassailable lead in the series and he finished with 19 scalps at an average of 23.

Ajinkya Rahane - (Rating 6 out of 10)

His hundred at Lord's on a green pitch showcased Rahane's class and temperament. His fine ton in the Edgbaston ODI not only helped India clinch a series win after 24 years, but it also proved that he is a man for all formats. However, in between these sizzling shows, Rahane somewhat lost his way. He ended up with 299 runs in the Test series at 33.22 while he scored 192 in the ODIs at 48.00.

Cheteshwar Pujara - (Rating 3.5 out of 10)

The 'New Wall of Indian Cricket', he was called. Considering his ability to bat for long periods and frustrate the bowlers, most thought Cheteshwar Pujara would emerge as one of the top run-getters in the Test series. However, it all ended in disappointment for the Indian number 3 as he could only manage 222 runs in 10 innings. He averaged a mere 22.20 while his highest was only 55.

Alastair Cook - (Rating - 3.5 out of 10)

He was criticised for his captaincy and his poor form after the first two Tests. While Alastair Cook somewhat managed to keep his detractors at bay after England won the Test series, he could not silence them for long. Defensive tactics, inability to rise to the occasion and think out of the box, and a single-minded approach to batting and captaincy - these were his drawbacks that former cricketers and journalists pointed out, and they would not be wrong in saying that. While the England skipper managed 298 runs with 3 fifties after his initial failures in the Test series, he could only score 118 runs in the four ODIs at an average of 29.5.

Shikhar Dhawan - (Rating 2.5 out of 10)

Shikhar Dhawan was expected to play a pivotal role at the top of the order and India banked on his explosive style of batting to get them off to good starts. However, the left-hander ended up disappointing as he could only manage 122 run in the three Test matches that he played, before being dropped for the final two. The average of 20.33 and the highest of 37 was nothing close to Dhawan's standards, although he did manage a score of 97 in the 4th ODI and finished with 155 runs in the ODI series.

Virat Kohli - (Rating 2 out of 10)

Be it the Test series or the ODIs, Virat Kohli would quickly want to forget the England tour, as he had a dismal outing throughout. While earning the tag of James Anderson's bunny, Kohli could only manage 134 runs in the Tests at an average of 13.40 and a highest of 39. While he would have hoped to make amends in the ODIs, he ended up disappointing again as he could only 54 runs, with a highest of 40, to end up with an average of 18. He somewhat regained his lost pride by scoring a half-century in the only T20I.

While there were some lesser-known cricketers who excelled, a few big names had a forgettable series when India toured England in 2014.

The hosts clinched the Test series 3-1 before the visitors returned the favour in the ODI format. England finished the season on a high, securing a thrilling win in the only T20I. Check out who walked away with the laurels and who got the brick-bats at the end of the series: