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India had started their previous tour of England (2014) with the Test series and managed to earn a draw at Trent Bridge in the series opener before taking a 1-0 lead at Lord s. However, that was it for India. England swept aside India in the next three matches to take the series 3-1. What started out as a promising series for the visitors turned out to be a nightmare in the end.

Nine players from the current 2018 Test squad – for the first three Tests – played in 2014, with most of them failing to make any substantial impact in that series. Murali Vijay was the best batsman for the visitors in that tour, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar (currently nursing an injury and not part of the 2018 squad) was India s best bowler.

Here s a look at how the nine performed four years back in England:

Virat Kohli (Matches 5, Innings 10, Runs 134, Highest Score 39, Average 13.40, 50s 0, 100s 0, 0s 2)

kohli

England was to be a stern test for the then 25-year-old Kohli; but, to put it mildly, he had a tough outing. His average of 13.40 was amongst the lowest for any No 1-6 batsman who played throughout a five-Test series. He was exposed outside the off stump and failed to show the temperament to fight it out in the middle. Kohli was dismissed by pacers on six occasions (four times by James Anderson, twice by Stuart Broad and once by Chris Jordan) and all in the slip cordon barring one catch that went to the wicketkeeper. He faced 288 deliveries in the entire series.

Shikhar Dhawan (M 3, I 6, R 122, HS 37, Avg 20.33, 50s 0, 100s 0, 0s 0)

dhawan

After a stellar debut a year before against Australia and a decent run in New Zealand, a lot was expected from Dhawan. However, he was taken out of his elements when faced with the moving ball. Dhawan managed scores of 12, 29, 7, 31, 6, 37 before being dropped for the final two Tests.

Murali Vijay (M 5, I 10, R 402, HS 146, Avg 40.20, 50s 1, 100s 1, 0s 1)

vijay

After finding his feet in the longer format a year before, Vijay began the series on a high with 146 and 52 at Nottingham. His 95 in the second Test went a long way in India winning at Lord s, but the Tamil Nadu batsman lost focus in the last three Test with scores of 35, 12, 0, 18, 18 and 2.

Cheteshwar Pujara (M 5, I 10, R 222, HS 55, Avg 22.20, 50s 1, 100s 0, 0s 1)

pujara

The man with the technique and temperament par none was at a loss in the middle in 2014. He was often guilty of being stuck at the crease on his back foot, thus rendering him susceptible to anything that was pitched in line with the stumps. A vital cog in the Indian line-up, Pujara could not occupy the crease for long. He got starts, but failed to build.

Ajinkya Rahane (M 5, I 10, R 299, HS 103, Avg 33.22, 50s 2, 100s 1, 0s 1)

rahane

Rahane played a pivotal role with 103 in the Lord s win after he held his own at Nottingham. His twin fifties at Southampton went in vain as India crashed to a heavy 266-run defeat. With three single-digit scores in the next two Tests, he too ended the series unremarkably.

Ravichandran Ashwin (M 2, I 4, R 106, HS 46*, Avg 35.33, 50s 0, 100s 0, 0s 0)

Bowling – (M 2, I 2, O 35.3 R 101, W 3, BBI 3/72, Avg 33.66)

ashwin

In the limited chances he got, Ashwin managed to bat better than most others and it would be unfair to judge him on the basis of the 35.3 overs that he got to bowl in the two matches.

Ravindra Jadeja (M 4, I 8, R 177, HS 68, Avg 22.12, 50s 1, 100s 0, 0s 1)

Bowling – (M 4, I 6, O 156 R 420, W 9, BBI 3/52, Avg 46.66)

jadeja

Picked ahead of Ashwin, Jadeja, with his 68 in the second innings and three wickets at Lord s, had a big hand to play in a famous win, but remained largely ineffective with his left-arm orthodox.

Ishant Sharma (M 3, I 4, O 115 R 381, W 14, BBI 7/74, Avg 27.21)

ishant

Bowled his heart out in the first three Tests and reaped the reward with a match-winning 7 for 74 at Lord s. Untimely, injury cut short his series but 14 wickets at an average of 27.21 was impressive nevertheless.

Mohammed Shami (M 3, I 5, O 96 R366, W 5, BBI 2/128, Avg 73.20)

shami

Similar to Kohli, Shami was then a red-hot prospect but failed to deliver. His lack of nip and pace was easy fodder for England’s batsmen and he was also guilty of bowling too many loose deliveries. Five wickets at an average of 73.20 in the first three Tests ensured he didn t play the final two. That said, Shami was at the receiving end of some poor catching in the slip cordon.