The Ashes 2015: Series Player ratings - Australia

The Ashes 2015: Series Player ratings – Australia: The Ashes is over and now the soul-searching begins for Australia. They came into the series with a desire to improve their away record but have ended up damaging it further. While they made an inspirational comeback in the second Test at Lords the next two were a dreadful story. Steve Smith batted with assurance in a couple of scintillating knocks while Mitchell Starc bowled well in patches. Who else were the stars, who needs to lift up their performance and who will fill roles for next Test series?

With an answer to all those queries we have the player ratings for Australia in the Ashes:

1. Michael Clarke – 4/10

Clarke failed with the bat miserably and displayed no signs of leading from the front. Coming in to the series he was looking to improve his Test record in England but was unable to play any innings off note. Falling mostly to typical English swing, his performances were a major reason in Australia not being able to put up a fight when England were ahead in the game. He was making decent deliveries look unplayable, which is an irreversible sign of decline. After the 4^th Test he eventually announced his retirement at the end of the series.

Tests: 5, Innings: 9, Runs: 132, Highest: 38, Average: 16.50

2. Steven Smith – 6/10

Smith scored two big centuries, including double ton at Lords, but never lived up to hype as the world’s best batter and failed to deliver when his team needed him the most. In between the highs of Lord’s and the Oval were the dismissals at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge where he looked too eager to dominate the bowling.

Tests: 5, Innings: 9, Runs: 508, Highest: 215 Average: 56.44

3. Chris Rogers – 7/10

Rogers showed his team-mates how it is done in tough conditions. He bows out of Test cricket with his head held high. Averaging 60 in his farewell series he was Australia’s most reliable player, and usually got them off to decent starts. He has had a short but highly successful career as an opener and will be hard to replace.

Tests: 5, Innings: 9, Runs: 480, Highest: 173, Average: 60.00

4. David Warner – 6/10:

Warner scored a half-century in every Test, and finished among the top-four run scorers for the series. He gave a glimpse of his talent with a patient innings in fifth Test, but too often surrendered his wicket with rash shots at a time when solidity was required. It could be argued that he didn’t score enough first-innings runs, where victories are generally set up.

Tests: 5, Innings: 9, Runs: 418, Highest: 85, Average: 46.44

5. Adam Voges – 4/10

Leading into this Ashes, 35-year-old Voges shaped as the man who could add some gumption to Australia’s faltering middle order. But he didn’t deliver in any meaningful way until the Ashes had been handed back. Half centuries in the second innings at Trent Bridge and again at the Oval may have saved his career in the short-term but he will have to deliver more frequently in future.

Tests: 5, Innings: 8, Runs: 201, Highest: 76, Average: 28.71

6. Mitchell Marsh – 5/10

Came into side as batting all-rounder after two centuries in tour matches but proved himself  of far better value with ball in hand in three Tests. He struggled with the bat, averaging 12, but excelled with the ball, taking eight wickets at an average of 18. The 23-year-old is far from the finished product, and desperately needs to tighten his batting technique.

Tests: 3, Innings: 5, Runs: 48, Highest: 27*, Average: 12.00, Wickets: 8, Best: 3/30, Average: 18.62

7. Peter Nevill – 5/10

Nevill has held his own since making the debut in the Lord’s Test, performing well behind the stumps while also putting a price on his wicket. He was generally tidy with his glovework, and his desperate attempts to weather the storm amidst the collapses was admirable. He has done enough to hold his spot for the near future, but needs to show that his batting is up to international standards.

Tests: 4, Innings: 6, Runs: 143, Highest: 59, Average: 23.83

8. Mitchell Johnson – 4/10

Aside from some rip-snorting spells at Lord’s, Johnson was a shadow of the bowler who terrorised England in Australia 20 months ago. He kept charging in despite relentless barrage from the Barmy Army but didn’t take enough wickets to pose a considerable threat to the English.

Tests: 5, Innings: 9, Wickets: 15, Best: 3/21, Average: 34.93

9. Mitchell Starc – 5/10

Starc was Australia’s leading wicket-taker with 18 scalps including a brilliant spell at Trent Bridge. His consistency continues to be a concern, although he is a natural wicket-taker. He impressively battled an ankle injury to claim five wickets in the first innings at Cardiff but apart from that memorable spell of Trent Bridge, he was largely erratic.

Tests: 5, Innings: 9, Wickets: 18, Best: 6/111, Average: 30.50

10. Nathan Lyon – 7/10

Being Steady and dependable, Lyon had a strong series. He bowled with loop and drift to outfox the batsmen and troubled the left handers in particular. Lyon denied Alastair Cook a well deserved century in the last Test at The Oval. He is undoubtedly a vital cog in the line up now.

Tests: 5, Innings: 9, Wickets: 16, Best: 4/75, Average: 28.25

11. Peter Siddle – 6/10

Just the one Test for Peter Siddle, but you wonder why he didn’t get more. The veteran was a bright spot on a dull tour, taking six wickets while reigniting his career with a match-winning performance. Only given one chance but he made the most of it with accurate, economic bowling that showed the selectors got it wrong by not picking him earlier.

Tests: 1, Innings: 2, Wickets: 6, Best: 4/35, Average: 11.16

12. Josh Hazlewood – 5/10

Hazlewood was touted as the great hope of Australia’s pace attack, but failed to match expectations. He will return to England in 2019 as a much better bowler with this experience. He is still very raw, but a mighty prospect for the future. Hazlewood took a respectable 16 wickets in his maiden Ashes campaign.

Tests: 4, Innings: 7, Wickets: 16, Best: 3/68, Average: 25.75

13. Brad Haddin – 4/10

A costly drop of Joe Root, who went on to make a match-winning 134 at Cardiff in the first Test sadly made for Haddin’s most significant contribution to the series. He missed the Lord’s Test to be with his ill daughter and  failed to reclaim his place in the team once Nevill started showing promise.

Tests: 1, Innings: 2, Runs: 29, Best: 22, Average: 14.50

14. Shane Watson – 4/10

A pair of LBW dismissals in the first Test showed selectors a glaring error in his technique and Watto was just a spectator for the rest of the tour. Watson’s place as the team’s first-choice allrounder has seemingly been taken by Mitch Marsh and his future may lie in limited-overs cricket only.

Tests: 1, Innings: 2, Runs: 49, Best: 30, Average: 24.50

15. Shaun Marsh – 1/10

The same old story for Shaun Marsh, his best is great but his worst is horrific.
He started well with a century in the tour match but failed miserably when brought in for the crucial fourth Test. Marsh is running out of time to convince the selectors.

Tests: 1, Runs: 2, Best: 2, Average: 1