They took their sweet time doing it, but Australia finally bowled out England early in the final session on day five for a 275-run win that secures a 2-0 Ashes series lead.

A century from Marnus Labuschagne and 90s to Steve Smith and David Warner gave the home side the upper hand early on; while the visitors gutsed it out on the final day, they were always going to be up against it.

Jhye Richardson’s final day five-wicket haul ensured the Aussies finally finished the job after a day of stonewalling from the Poms, and sets up a selection headache for the Boxing Day Test with Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins set to return.

Meanwhile, Jos Buttler’s Test yo-yoed from day to day and almost session to session, openers Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed continued to struggle, and Ollie Robinson found himself in anything – including a brief stint as a spinner.

Here are The Roar’s player ratings for the second Ashes Test.

Australia

Marcus Harris – 3
When you’re out of form, you’re often out of luck too. The opener fell victim to two stunning Jos Buttler one-handed catches in Adelaide, to keep his position under heavy scrutiny heading into his home Boxing Day Test.

Harris’ Test average now sits at 22.19 – the sixth-worst out of all openers with at least 466 runs. There are 267 men who fill that criteria. It’s not pretty.

David Warner – 8
Having made his name as a dismantler of attacks, Warner’s watchful, patient innings this series more fit the bill of traditional openers of old. On the first morning, he took eight overs to so much as get off the mark, en route to his slowest double-figure score in Tests.

He’s been outstanding, though, and by all rights really should have two extra Test centuries to his name this series; his 94 in Brisbane and 95 in Adelaide represent two-thirds of his career scores in the 90s in red-ball international cricket.

Marnus Labuschagne – 9
The Australian number three and second Test player of the match is nothing short of extraordinary, and statistics are beginning to bow to his brilliance.

He’s averaging 102 in first innings since returning to the Test team in mid-2019; it’s absolutely outrageous.

And not even the great Don Bradman can match him for this stat:

50+ scores after 20 Test matches:

Marnus Labuschagne – 17
Sir Donald Bradman – 15
Brian Lara – 13
Sir Vivian Richards – 13
Steve Smith – 10
Ricky Ponting – 9
Sachin Tendulkar – 8
Steve Waugh – 6#Ashes

— Nic Savage (@nic_savage1) December 16, 2021

In the form he’s in, he hardly needed luck, but two dropped catches before his three figures, one an absolute sitter from Buttler, were a rarity from the usually chanceless Marnus. Throw in his half-centuries in the second innings here and to start off in Brisbane, and it looks to be a race between him and Travis Head for player of the series honours.

Steve Smith (c) – 8
If Smith was nervous about returning to the captaincy for the first time since Cape Town 2018 and ‘Sandpapergate’, he certainly didn’t show it. Or maybe, given the circumstances of Pat Cummins’ shock withdrawal just hours before the Test, he simply didn’t have time for nerves.

He marshalled the troops brilliantly in the field, and found a happy knack for making the right bowling changes at the right time – none better than the choice to replace Cameron Green with Mitchell Starc midway through the third day with immediate dividends.

With the bat, he’d have been kicking himself after falling for 93 to an Anderson nip-backer; the kind of ball he usually whips off his pads with the greatest of ease. The only blemish was his single-figure score in the second dig, even aided by a Buttler drop; his first against England since the corresponding Adelaide Test four years ago.

Travis Head – 7
Got himself out in the first innings to a virtual full toss from Joe Root, but proved his incredible Gabba counterattack was no fluke in the second.

Remarkably, his 49-ball half-century on day four, at a time when everyone else was struggling to eke out runs, was two balls quicker than what he managed in Brisbane. The number five spot now looks his for the foreseeable future.

Cameron Green – 6
Did he turn the corner with the bat? His weakness to balls attacking the stumps was explained in great detail by Ricky Ponting after his first innings failure, bowled by Ben Stokes; but, albeit with the England bowlers all but out of steam, his unbeaten 33 on day four saw him spend some valuable time out in the middle.

His bowling continues to go from strength to strength, nicking Root off for the second time in the series to break England’s best partnership of the match in the first dig. His efforts were described as ‘Pat Cummins-like’ by former Australian fast bowler Damien Fleming – high praise indeed.

Took until the 100th over to be given a bowl in the second innings, amid rumours he was carrying an injury. Was still excellent in the gully, including claiming the winning catch.

Alex Carey (wk) – 7
Just when you thought the new keeper was incapable of making a mistake with the gloves, he failed to go for an edge of opposite number Buttler early on day five. With Buttler batting for another 200 balls, the blooper nearly proved as costly as any of the Englishman’s.

With the bat, though, his first-innings 50 showed he’s more than up to Test level; while his glovework, aside from that late drop, was all but flawless, especially with Nathan Lyon generating prodigious turn down the leg side.

Michael Neser – 6
The sight of Neser being mobbed by all his teammates – and reserves Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Swepson – after taking his maiden Test wicket late on day two was undoubtedly the feel-good moment of the series to date.

Perhaps hampered by a slight niggle, the Queenslander was used sparingly on debut, bowling just 24 overs in total: though he did add the crucial scalp of in-form Englishman Dawid Malan to his resume on day four. However, you’d expect Richardson remains ahead of him in the pecking order for a Boxing Day spot should Josh Hazlewood miss again.

Mitchell Starc – 8
With Pat Cummins and Hazlewood out, the left-armer needed to step up and lead the attack, and he did it with aplomb.

Continuing his outstanding record with the pink ball, Starc picked up a team-high four wickets in the first innings, with his set-up of the helpless Buttler for a duck on day three showing his class. The wicket of Root with the last ball of day four would prove even more crucial the next day as England fought tooth and nail to draw the Test.

With the bat, he remains in exceptional form with a pair of rapid scores – surely at some point, he gets the promotion up to number eight?

Jhye Richardson – 8
Copped a bit of tap from the English batters on day three after a superb spell with the new ball in the night session the day previously. In particular, he looked seriously threatening under the lights.

After going wicketless in the first innings, the Western Australian came into his own by prising out both openers on day four, with the extra bounce he generated to remove Haseeb Hameed one of the balls of the match.

Then he broke the last-day stand between Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler with a lovely nip-backer that disturbed the furniture, before getting Buttler in the final session – though that one was more the batter’s doing than his. A maiden Test five-wicket haul was wrapped up by claiming last man Jimmy Anderson, and ensure last-day hero status for Richardson.

Nathan Lyon – 7
Bowled far better than his figures suggest, with his enormous turn – the most he’s generated in quite some time – making the ‘GOAT’ a constant threat.

Took three wickets in the first innings, including bowling Woakes through the gate via an inside edge; while he wasn’t the fifth-day destroyer many thought he’d be, his scalps of Ben Stokes and Ollie Robinson both came at critical times.

England

Rory Burns – 3
The sight of a wayward Burns throw flying for four overthrows late on day two couldn’t have summed up his tour any better.

Whether with the bat or in the field, the opener has looked all at sea thus far this series. His dismissal for 34 in the second innings might have been the most disappointing of his four failures, given it was the first time he’d actually made a start.

Haseeb Hameed – 2
Any gains the opener made with his sturdy two innings in Brisbane came unstuck here. First, Hameed chipped an innocuous Michael Neser ball to mid-wicket to gift the debutant his first Test wicket; then got surprised by extra bounce of Jhye Richardson in the second.

England have too many worries with their other opener Burns for Hameed to be dropped after one poor showing; but he desperately needs runs on Boxing Day to keep himself afloat.

Dawid Malan – 7
Along with his captain Root, Malan has looked the only English batter capable of standing up to the Aussies. His and Root’s 138-run stand in the first innings was only beaten by their partnership in Brisbane for the tourists’ best of the series.

His tendency to waft outside off got him again, though, edging Starc to Smith in the cordon for 80; then copped a good nip-backer from Neser in the second. If nothing else this tour, England appear to have found a long-term number three. Even picked up two junk wickets on day four as the Aussies slogged their way towards a declaration.

Joe Root (c) – 7
Australia hasn’t been kind to Joe Root – he finished their last tour in hospital with heatstroke, and this time around had to deal with a series of painful blows to the… unmentionables.

Absolute scenes in the commentary box, completely losing it watching Joe Root run ???? #Ashes pic.twitter.com/0CoJCSPTKD

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 19, 2021

He returned to the field midway through day four after going for scans, and toughed his way through six overs with the ball – picking up two wickets to boot. Then he copped another blow to the box from Starc late in the day that left him in clear agony. However, his dismissal with the last ball of the day would have hurt even more.

Ben Stokes – 6
Better than his Brisbane nightmare, but Stokes still looks a long way off the all-rounder that has tormented the Aussies on their last two tours of England.

Having to play the enforcer role with the ball due to Mark Wood’s omission, Stokes’ beauty to dismiss Cameron Green on the opening day showed just what he can do when allowed to pitch it up. With the bat, he made a pair of starts and was stuck with the tail in the first dig, while his LBW off Nathan Lyon on the final day all but sealed his team’s doom.

Ollie Pope – 2
The shadow of Lyon looms large over Pope at the moment, who looked all at sea against the off-spinner in the first innings before at last being put out of his misery for just 5.

Hardly got to face him in the second innings, falling early on day five for 4. It was a tough call pre-series between him and Jonny Bairstow at number six, and expect that speculation to grow as the series heads to Melbourne.

Jos Buttler (wk) – 5
Ranking Buttler is an absolute nightmare. On one hand, he took three incredible catches; on the other, he dropped three, including an utter howler to spare Marnus Labuschagne, that most keepers at the highest level would have swallowed.

With the bat, he looks suffocated by the extra time afforded in Test cricket, with his freewheeling limited-overs cricket persona looking like a completely different player. His 15-ball duck in the first innings was the fourth time he’s faced that many balls for a globe, more than anyone else since 1991.

He did guts out a stonewalling 207-ball 26 on the final day, only for his wicket to perfectly sum up his Test – treading on his stumps off Jhye Richardson.

Chris Woakes – 4
Woakes is a solid number eight, and his gutsy 44 on the final day briefly gave rise to hopes England could fight out for an unlikely draw.

But with the ball, his sameness to Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson can really make this English attack look one-paced on unhelpful pitches.

Took only one wicket for the Test – that of a slogging Richardson in the first innings – and his average in overseas Tests is now beyond 50, compared to 22 at home. That’s some drop-off.

Ollie Robinson – 6
The lion-hearted quick hasn’t dominated this series, but he’s shown plenty of chutzpah in what has been a disappointing series.

Case in point: early on day two, after having seen Labuschagne’s wicket taken off him due to yet another no-ball, Robinson responded by steaming in again, and getting his man for good LBW two overs later. A stint of off-spin on day four with England desperately needing a spinner showed his team-first attitude, even if it was as village as it gets.

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Ollie Robinson, everybody! #Ashes pic.twitter.com/Uoa4bwnRF2

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 19, 2021

He even bunkered down for a 39-ball stay at the crease late on day five, as England threatened to draw the Test.

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Stuart Broad – 6
Just two wickets on return for Broad after being left out for the first Test, but the veteran looked a constant threat with ball in hand.

He was the chief architect behind England’s two best periods with the ball this Test – early on day one, when he and Jimmy Anderson stifled Warner and Labuschagne; and then again on day four, when he removed Harris, had Smith dropped by Buttler and then came within millimetres of getting him LBW in a three-ball sequence.

Broad was far from the destroyer that left Warner a wreck in England two years ago, but if he gets a bit of luck in the next three Tests, he could well leave the series as the pick of England’s bowlers.

James Anderson – 6
39 overs for 66 runs was a remarkable effort from the evergreen seamer. Bowling immaculate lines that constantly beat even the most in-form of the Aussie batters, Anderson’s three wickets could have been more on another day.

Managing him for the rest of the series will be a conundrum for England, particularly with Woakes looking unthreatening. He might need to miss one more Test for the series; which one will it be?