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Disappointing series for Australia's struggling spearheads

7th January, 2019
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7th January, 2019
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Shaun Marsh, Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch were the biggest batting disappointments as Australia lost the Test series 2-1 to India, while star quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood were also sub-par.

Here are my ratings from this four-Test series:

Australia

Pat Cummins – 7.5/10
14 wickets at 27, plus 163 runs at 23

The only Australian bowler who looked truly switched on for every innings of every Test. Cummins bowled far better than his figures suggested in the first two matches before getting his just rewards in the third. He is now clearly Australia’s best quick.

Also batted with fine technique, patience and determination.

Nathan Lyon – 6/10
21 wickets at 30

Lyon was tracking for man of the series honours after the first two Tests before falling away. The off-spinner was quelled by fine Indian batting and some awful Australian fielding in Melbourne and Sydney.

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Marcus Harris – 5.5/10
258 runs at 37

A clear pass mark for Harris in his debut series. The left-hander reached 20 in six of his seven innings – no mean feat against a quality pace attack. He often looked comfortable only to find a way to get out.

Finished as easily Australia’s leading runscorer and the overall fourth-highest for the series. Should be persisted with.

Tim Paine – 5.5/10
174 runs at 25, plus 16 catches

Paine kept neatly, as always, and chipped in with handy runs as usual. But he is marked down due to his inability to convert his many starts into a match-shaping score. Paine’s wasted starts included scores of 41, 38, 37, 26 and 22.

Tim Paine

Skipper Tim Paine of Australia. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Gallo Images)

Travis Head – 5/10
237 runs at 34

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The same as Harris and Paine, Head had no problems making starts but consistently frittered them away with loose strokes. His scores for the series were 72, 58, 34, 20, 20, 19 and 14. Like Harris, he deserves more time to prove he can fix this issue.

Josh Hazlewood – 4.5/10
13 wickets at 31

Hazlewood rarely was wayward, but also rarely was threatening. Too often his spells were just a tad off – a little bit too short or a little bit too full, a little bit too wide or a little bit too straight.

Mitchell Starc – 4/10
13 wickets at 34, plus 117 runs at 23

The veteran quick is flattered by his series statistics. It was probably the worst series he has had with the ball since four years ago against Pakistan in the UAE. Continually wasted the new ball and did not pose nearly as much threat with the old ball as usual.

Marnus Labuschagne – 4/10
38 runs at 38, plus 0 for 76 with the ball

Batted nicely in his sole innings, but his bowling looked a long way short of Test standard, even for a fifth bowler.

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Usman Khawaja – 4/10
198 runs at 28

Khawaja needed to stand up and be Australia’s batting lynchpin in this series. But he didn’t. Instead, he played just one knock of significance and laboured against both spin and pace.

Shaun Marsh – 3.5/10
183 runs at 26

Should never play another Test for Australia, but probably will anyway. This was Marsh’s third consecutive poor Test series, following on from his dud performances in the UAE and South Africa.

Mitch and Shaun Marsh leave the field

Mitchell Marsh and Shaun Marsh are feeling the heat. (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Peter Handscomb – 2.5/10
105 runs at 21

Didn’t deserve to be recalled, having averaged just 34 in first-class cricket since he was dropped during the last Ashes. His odd technique is being shredded by Test quicks.

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Aaron Finch – 1/10
96 runs at 16

Has had his chances of building a Test career cruelled by the Australian brains trust, who foolishly tried to turn him into an opener when everyone else in the cricketing world knew he was a middle-order batsman or bust.

Mitch Marsh – 1/10
19 runs at 9, plus 0 for 51 with the ball

Has been in wretched form over his past three Test series. Last summer’s Ashes, which he dominated, is a clear aberration in a career otherwise marked by consistent failures.

India

Cheteshwar Pujara – 9.5/10
521 runs at 74

One of the best performances by a visiting batsman of the modern era.

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Jasprit Bumrah – 9/10
21 wickets at 17

This series will be looked back upon as the moment Bumrah became a superstar.

Rishabh Pant – 8/10
350 runs at 58, plus 20 catches

His keeping is shoddy and his batting temperament is poor, but there is no denying Pant’s immense raw talent with the blade.

Mayank Agarwal – 8/10
195 runs at 65

India must move on from Murali Vijay, KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan and give Agarwal the extended run he deserves.

Mohammed Shami – 7.5/10
16 wickets at 26

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This clever and skilful quick continued his fine overseas form by consistently tormenting Australia’s batsmen, particularly with the old ball.

Ishant Sharma – 7.5/10
11 wickets at 24

Ishant has come of age over the past two years, after being a meme of a cricketer for the best part of a decade. So accurate and so consistent.

Ravi Jadeja – 7.5/10
Seven wickets at 28, plus 90 runs at 30

Precise spinner, dangerous batsman, gun fielder – Jadeja adds so much to the Indian team.

Virat Kohli – 7/10
282 runs at 40

A rare quiet series by his insanely-high standards. Yet he still compiled a masterful ton at Perth.

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Virat Kohli celebrating

Virat Kohli. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Kuldeep Yadav – 7/10
Five wickets at 20
This left-arm wrist spinner has incredible potential as a pure wicket-taking Test bowler. Rips it hard and has befuddling variations.

Ravi Ashwin – 7/10
Six wickets at 25

Bowled well in the first Test before getting injured.

Rohit Sharma – 5/10
106 runs at 35

Continues to be an enigma at Test level. India have several better and younger options.

Ajinkya Rahane – 5/10
217 runs at 31

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The veteran middle-order batsman wasted a string of starts. But his second innings 70 at Adelaide was pivotal.

Hanuma Vihari – 3/10
111 runs at 22

An ordinary series for the rookie batsman. Looked particularly vulnerable against the short ball.

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Umesh Yadav – 2.5/10
Two wickets at 69

Yadav was outstanding the last time Australia played India in Tests but was very poor in his only match this time around.

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Murali Vijay – 1/10
49 runs at 12

Soon to turn 35 years old, Vijay may well have played his last Test.

KL Rahul – 1/10
57 runs at 11

Rahul had a horror run overseas in the past year, averaging 20 from ten Tests in Australia, South Africa and England.

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