England's winners and losers from epic Test series against India

It will go down as one of cricket's greatest Test series.

Duelling to the fifth day of the previous four Test matches, it was somewhat fitting that the sudden deluge on the fourth day ensured England's quest for victory at The Oval would take them into the final day of a gruelling battle.

India had less than a 9% chance of victory according to the Cricviz Analyst when Harry Brook moved onto 111 on Sunday. When Mohammed Siraj claimed the wicket of Jamie Smith on Monday morning, India's victory felt inevitable even with England requiring just 25 runs with two wickets and a one-armed Chris Woakes in hand.

In a series which pushed both teams to the physical and mental extremes, we take a look at the winners and losers from the England camp after a breathtaking six weeks.

Winners

Ben Stokes

England need to lock Ben Stokes in a freeze chamber or something along those lines between Tests for the upcoming Ashes series.

The skipper was nearing his peak with the ball, taking 17 wickets across 140 overs. He even conjured a special 141 at Old Trafford in a reminder of his batting prowess.

While Stokes may feel he's invincible, he most certainly isn't. Pain isn't just an "emotion", as he described after the exhausting Manchester Test.

Managing his workload is imperative to England's chances Down Under as his absence in the final Test was telling, but Stokes' form during the India series is a huge boost.

Jofra Archer

After a four-year absence, Jofra Archer is back and thankfully he's survived the series unscathed.

He wasn't at his most potent, but his ability to sustain spells in the 90s will be of huge encouragement to the player himself and the selectors.

A five-fer at Lord's preceded four wickets at Old Trafford and England will be hoping to take a fully fit Archer with them to Perth at the end of November.

Gus Atkinson

In a period where other pace bowlers were impressing in his absence, Gus Atkinson was able to banish the frustration of his recent injury troubles with a stellar showing at The Oval.

The 27-year-old claimed a total of eight wickets in the final Test and the numbers speak for themselves, with Atkinson boasting the third-best strike rate of all bowlers to have taken 50+ Test wickets.

His overall total stands at 63 from 13 matches and he will be looking to add a few more scalps in Australia.

Losers

Ollie Pope

A series that started exceptionally with his 106 at Headingley soon deteriorated and once again question marks remain concerning Ollie Pope's ability to bat at three.

Stokes' absence in the fifth Test provided Pope with the opportunity to instill some confidence as he inherited captaincy duties but he did the opposite, with an uncertain review for LBW epitomising his struggles.

The discrepancy of his innings totals is another concern; he averages 46.7 in the first innings compared to 19.8 in the second. When the pressure mounts, Pope seemingly crumbles.

Jacob Bethell

Ultimately England's faith in the young and supremely talented Jacob Bethell will not diminish off the back of this series.

After all, the 21-year-old was ill-prepared upon his inclusion in the fifth Test, having played just one first-class match in the last six months.

His performance of The Oval was of a stark contrast to the measured individual we witnessed against New Zealand, and England need to manage him better if he's to have a positive impact in the Ashes.

Chris Woakes

Walking down the pavilion steps with a bat in one hand and his other arm in a sling, Chris Woakes was the hero we never knew we needed.

However, the shoulder injury Woakes sustained from his seemingly innocuous fall may have diminished his slim hopes of featuring in the Ashes.

11 wickets at an average of 52.1 did little to inspire as the Wizard struggled to threaten the India batting order throughout the series.

Liam Dawson

I imagine Liam Dawson was absolutely delighted to be recalled to the Test side but he was unable to capitalise on the injury to Shoaib Bashir by claiming wickets in his absence at Old Trafford.

He proved he was immensely accurate but the 35-year-old lacked penetration, claiming just the one wicket from his 62 overs.