Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali picked Ben Stokes as his Player of the Series for England in the five-match Test series. Surprisingly, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir picked Harry Brook ahead of Stokes and Joe Root as England’s Player of the Series.
Stokes scalped 17 wickets against India at an impressive average of 25.24 in four Test matches. The England captain bowled long spells despite injury concerns and troubled the Indian batters consistently with his probing line and length.
Furthermore, Stokes amassed 304 runs in seven innings at an average of 43.43 and scored a fine century in the Old Trafford Test.
“Ben Stokes. I think he was the big difference. Generally, his all-round performance was unbelievable. He showed his true abilities. He was England’s best bowler for the first three games. I think he was a big miss in the last game. His runs, his wickets, proper all-round stuff,” Moeen Ali said on the ‘Beard Before Wicket’ podcast.
On the other hand, England’s leg-spinner Adil Rashid said he would pick Mohammed Siraj as his Player of the Series if not Ben Stokes. Siraj scalped 23 wickets in the series at an average of 32.43 and delivered when it mattered the most.
“If I didn’t have to go for Stokes, I would go for a bowler. I would go for Siraj. It’s easy going to Gill because he got the most runs but giving it to a bowler like Siraj who got a fifer for you in the game, he never missed, played every game, not resting, nothing,” he said.
“And every game, his bowling was just like he’s fresh. He’s running, steaming in. So I would give it to Siraj,” he added.
Ali picked Mohammed Siraj’s dismissal of Gus Atkinson at the Oval as the best wicket of the series.
“Siraj against Gus Atkinson, the last one. Just because it was a top ball, great ball, and I think with everything that’s happened in the whole series, under pressure, after stepping over the rope there, it was a fitting finish for him,” he said.
Siraj returned with match figures of 9-190 at the Oval.
