A 3-3 draw was a triumph for the team. But how didthey fare individually? Lawrence Booth gives his marks out of 10

England series averages

9 - Marcus Trescothick

Usurped Knight as England's dasher at the top of the order - his 318 runs came off just 304 balls - and for once finished a series almost as strongly as he started. He also developed the ruthless knack of making the opposition pay for their errors: at Calcutta he was dropped on 2 and made 121; at Mumbai he was dropped first ball and made 95. At times, the only person who ever looked like getting him out - apart from umpire Sharma - was Trescothick himself. Note to Nasser: don't forget Banger's dobbers.

8 - Andy Flintoff

In a series when the seamers suffered, Freddie's economy-rate of 4.30 was tighter than his six-pack. His galumphing back-of-a-length heavies were tailor-made for the Indian pitches, and his progress as a front-line bowler was reflected by Hussain's decision to entrust him with the final over at Mumbai. Meanwhile his batting finally emerged from its nightmare. At Delhi he was Sunday-league explosive; at Mumbai he was Test-match introspective. Duncan Fletcher's hunch at the start of the Test tour ("We need Freddie") turned out to be inspired.

7 - Ashley Giles

In the space of 19 deliveries at Delhi Giles finally established himself as England's No. 1 spinner in blue. His first spell (4-0-32-0) made you cry out for Jeremy Snape, but in his second he received a message from Fletcher, switched to round-the-wicket and ran through the line-up like a left-handed Murali. As much as any moment in the last two months, that epitomised England's resolve. Deceptively dangerous in the outfield, where a blunderbuss run was usually followed by a bullet-like throw.

7 - Darren Gough

There were moments when Gough's skiddy new-ball angles were cannon-fodder for the Sachin-Sehwag combo, but he's bowled on the subcontinent before, and soon he was playing pick'n'mix all over again, varying the pace of the ball and ripping his fingers across the seam. He was the best old-ball seam bowler of the series, and that last over at Delhi was a triumph: you can take the man out of Yorkshire, but you can't take the yorkers out of the man. Gains a point for the series-saving last-wicket stand at Mumbai.

7 - Nick Knight

That century at Delhi was a masterpiece of Thorpe-like accumulation. And it represented a new phase in Knight's one-day career: with Trescothick now the heavy artillery at the top of the order, Knight sacrificed the torpedo for the anchor. For a while he struggled to find his new niche, but the 74 at Kanpur - full of cheeky reverse-sweeps - showed he can adapt. Still cheerleading chirpily in the field.

6 - Andy Caddick

Couldn't get a game until Delhi, and then overpitched rustily for his first couple of overs. But two moments showed his class. At Delhi he found Tendulkar's outside edge. And at Mumbai he got the old ball to rear alarmingly to dismiss the dangerous Agarkar as the tension mounted. By the end of the series he was throwing himself round the boundary like a hyperactive goalkeeper. And he had regained his place above Hoggard in the pecking order.

6 - Paul Collingwood

Enhanced his reputation as an intelligent cricketer with a matchwinning 71 not out at Cuttack, and although he faded after that, he remains the epitome of Nasser's New England: more substance than style, more guts than glamour. And he even added some off-side strokes to his repertoire. His fielding at cover was occasionally spectacular, but he's not yet a fully-fledged fifth bowler, especially on subcontinental pancakes.

6 - Matthew Hoggard

Just about clung onto the steep learning-curve he established during the Test series, and produced one spell of three wickets in six balls at Chennai that was McGrath-like in its accuracy and hostility. At times he lacked consistency and that was fatal, but he has Gough's spirit and some of Caddick's bounce, and he can gurn for Britain. If only he could bat as well.

6 - Nasser Hussain

His captaincy wasn't as sharp as usual - look how many easy singles he gave Ganguly at Mumbai - but it was pricklier than ever. His constant querying of the umpires' decision to change the ball upset sections of the Indian media, but fortified his team. Continued the worrying habit he developed at the end of the Ashes of playing himself in, then getting himself out: in New Zealand, those 40s must become 100s. Fielded at cover like Herschelle Gibbs.

6 - Michael Vaughan

Looked like he'd cracked the pyjama stuff with assertive innings at Cuttack and Chennai, but after that, rumours of his calm temperament seemed exaggerated. The uncharacteristic charge-and-miss at Mumbai, when all he needed to do was give Trescothick the strike, showed that he has still to sort out a gameplan. Loses a point for fielding like Devon Malcolm - maybe he's worried about touching the ball after the Bangalore Test - but gains one for his bowling at the death at Mumbai, when he was more like John Emburey.

5 - James Foster

Still improving, and still fallible. He dropped Badani at a crucial stage at Chennai, and was lucky that a fluffed stumping at Delhi didn't cost England the series. But his work at run-outs, when he tidied up less-than-perfect returns from the fielders, approached world-class. His batting was one-paced, but he has been a quick learner so far. Alec Stewart should be worried.

5 - Ben Hollioake

Injury cut short his series, but he would probably have been squeezed out by Collingwood and Flintoff anyway. Even so, don't forget that crucial contribution at Cuttack, where Hollioake athletically got a fingertip on Sehwag's stinging straight-drive to run out Tendulkar at the non-striker's end: few others would have even got a hand on it. Batted responsibly at Chennai, but his bowling sprayed too much onto the right-hander's pads. Carried the drinks with aplomb.

5 - Jeremy Snape

Once the Indians learned to wait (and wait) for Snape's slowest deliveries - some of them less than 40mph - he was less effective, but his batting was all Gloucester guts, his fielding at backward point as dazzling as his shades. The Giles show at Delhi means he may struggle to regain his place, but his relentless encouragement from the boundary made him the dream tourist.

4 - Graham Thorpe

England's best batsman was a peripheral figure, just as in Zimbabwe back in October. Played well for 36 not out at Kanpur, but that counted for little when Tendulkar and Sehwag went ballistic. Thereafter his mind tended to wander. At Delhi he scraped 2 off 6 balls when England needed quick runs; at Mumbai he was stumped off a wide. At least England learned that they can win without him.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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