Virat Kohli and Umesh Yadav … two young men who left WACA with some pride © Getty Images
By David Green
Marks out of ten:
Gautam Gambhir - 3: Got out to a nothing shot having done all the hard work on the first morning and then got a snorter from Mitchell Starc second time around. Run without a Test hundred now extends to two years, 19 Tests and 37 innings.
Virender Sehwag - 1: Upstaged comprehensively by his likely successor as cricket's Master Blaster. In 11 Tests since the start of the tour to South Africa in December 2010, he averages just 26 with a top score of 67. His record in this series is even worse: 118 runs at 19.66.
Rahul Dravid - 5: Is unlikely to have played and missed more times in a single innings than he did second time around here, but typically he stuck at it in his usual dogged style. Hearing the death rattle five times out of six in this series is a real cause for concern.
Sachin Tendulkar - 2: After scores of 73 and 32 at Melbourne and 41 and 80 Sydney there was to be no near-misses of that elusive 100th ton in Perth as the Little Master fell cheaply both times playing across the line. The hype and the wait have now reached 23 international innings.
VVS Laxman - 3: Like Gambhir, did all the hard work in the 1st innings before giving it away with a dismal poke outside off-stump before registering a duck second time around. The batsman who has proved Australia's nemesis in the past now has just 102 runs at 17 in the series. Will it be au revoir VVS?
Virat Kohli - 7: This Test could well prove the making of Kohli as amidst the numerous plays and misses he exhibited some of his wonderful shot making. Threw it away in the 1st innings when well set and needs to control his emotions better but definitely worth persevering with.
MS Dhoni - 1: Another horror show on a horrific tour for the skipper. Fell cheaply to poor shots in both innings and if that wasn't bad enough is now banned from the Adelaide Test due to a poor over-rate.
Vinay Kumar - 1: Makes his namesake Praveen look lightning quick in comparison and seems set to join the one Test-cap club. Smashed for six from his fourth ball in Test cricket and had many wondering if their televisions were showing everything in slow motion when he was bowling.
Zaheer Khan - 4: Taken to the cleaners by David Warner just like everyone else, but at least got the upper hand over Brad Haddin by dismissing him for a third ball duck.
Ishant Sharma - 2: Should be smarting after a hiding from Warner and being handed the ball AFTER Vinay Kumar. His figures for the summer tour to England and x-rated: 15 wickets at 64 with a strike rate of 104 - maybe Vinay may get another Test after all.
Umesh Yadav - 7: Bounced back impressively after Warner's initial pillaging to spark a brief Indian fight back and was rewarded with his first five wicket Test haul. Also took a difficult catch to finally rid India of Warner.
(David Green is the brain behind the irreverent The Reverse Sweep blog and also writes for a number of cricket publications and sites such as World Cricket Watch. You can follow him on Twitter also@TheReverseSweep. David was a decent schoolboy and club cricketer (and scored his maiden 100 the same week that Sachin Tendulkar scored his first Test ton) but not good enough to fulfill his childhood dream of emulating Douglas Jardine by winning the Ashes in Australia and annoying the locals into the bargain. He now lives with his wife and two young children in the South of France and will one day write the definitive biography of Hedley Verity)
