Every player rated from the first Ashes Test: Awesome Uzzy, ridiculous Root as Aussie twin towers crumble

What. A. Test.

In one of the greatest matches of cricket ever played, Australia have defied both England and their own record in close games to clinch a classic by two wickets – and take a 1-0 lead in the Ashes.

Player of the match Usman Khawaja was the hero for his double of 141 and 65, but plenty of teammates were just as brilliant, not least Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, who added to their superb bowling by combining for 55 clutch runs to snatch the Test from England’s grasp.

As for the vanquished, Joe Root could scarcely have done more – with bat or ball – to get ‘Bazball’ its most famous victory yet, while Stuart Broad staked his claim as England’s greatest Ashes bowler to torment two previous nemeses… but the hosts will be left wondering whether Jonny Bairstow’s error-riddled wicketkeeping performance proved the difference in the end.

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

Australia

David Warner – 5

After what he endured in a nightmare series in 2019, Warner must have thought he was destined to be Stuart Broad’s permanent bunny when he dragged on an innocuous delivery in the first innings to fall cheaply to his nemesis again.

However, the second innings would bring respite, and the faintest release of pressure surrounding his spot in the team. But having reached 36 without fuss, seen off Broad and secured Australia’s first 50-run opening partnership in England since the 2015 Ashes, he would have been devastated to edge behind to Robinson just when a match-defining score seemed on the cards.

Usman Khawaja – 9.5

It will take something special for Edgbaston 2023 to not be the defining match of Khawaja’s career when his incredible renaissance finally comes to a close.

One of the great performances by an Australian batter in England, Khawaja first ground the hosts into submission on the second day, his 321-ball 141 a masterclass of patience and discipline totally antithetical to England’s all-guns-blazing ‘Bazball’ approach.

Then, in the second innings, though criticised for his slow pace, an exhausted Khawaja still eked out an invaluable 65 runs, taking him past 500 balls faced for the match and becoming just the second Australian, after Kim Hughes, to bat across all five days of a Test.

Take a bow, Uzzy.

Usman Khawaja of Australia celebrates his century. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Marnus Labuschagne – 2

For perhaps the first time since he burst onto the scene in the 2019 Ashes, Labuschagne has a problem.

With talk pre-series about Broad developing an outswinger specifically for him and Steve Smith, the Queenslander failed the test at his very first try, edging behind for a golden duck in the first innings.

If that wasn’t enough, he’d fall in near identical fashion the second time around, Broad’s relentless line and length eventually coaxing another edge behind for just 13.

An excellent catch to remove Harry Brook in England’s second innings was just about his only highlight out of a miserable Test.

Steve Smith – 2

England had no answer for Smith in 2019; this time, the batter that has arrived on their shores appears much diminished.

Smith fell at Edgbaston in ways he just didn’t four years ago: in the first innings, he missed a regulation clip off his pads to fall LBW to Ben Stokes; then, in the second, his usually immaculate judging of what to leave deserted him when he edged a Broad outswinger behind.

Having reached at least 80 in six of seven innings in 2019, he’d make just 22 runs combined in the first Test here. Disaster.

Travis Head – 6.5

With Australia in early trouble at 3/67 in their first innings, Head did what he has been doing for the last 18 months: counterattacked.

The result was an innings-turning 50, putting the pressure back on England’s bowlers and steering the visitors to safety, though he will be filthy to have thrown his wicket away with a rash shot off Moeen Ali.

Loomed as a danger man in Australia’s run chase, but managed only 16 before Moeen did for him again in a crucial flashpoint on Day 5.

Cameron Green – 6

Bowling just eight over for the match, and looking unthreatening short of removing Stuart Broad’s off-stump in the first innings, the all-rounder still found a way to impact the Test.

Green took another screamer at gully to remove Ben Duckett to get Australia a crucial breakthrough to start England’s second innings, while scores of 38 and 28 with the bat showcased both his patience and hitting power, even if a big score eluded him.

A bright future awaits for the Western Australian prodigy, and he can be proud of a vital if understated performance in his first Ashes Test in England.

Alex Carey (wk) – 9

The biggest difference between Australia and England in the first Test was the quality of the two wicketkeepers.

Where Jonny Bairstow missed three crucial chances to take the gloss off his first-innings half-century, Carey was immaculate, recording three stumpings for the match, spilling only one chance – a tough one-hander on Day 1 – and not conceding a single bye despite not just a mountain of overs from Nathan Lyon, but also having regularly come up to the stumps for Boland.

His first-innings 66, together with Khawaja, brought Australia close enough to England’s first-innings score to keep them in the hunt, and while he’d have loved more than his 20 on the final day, he got the team close enough for the epic finale that ensued.

Pat Cummins (c) – 9

From the moment Cummins was creamed through the covers by Crawley for a four off the first ball of the series, it was clear the star quick was going to be tested like never before by England.

But after a wicketless opening day during which he was roundly criticised – somewhat unfairly given Australia still managed regular inroads – for defensive fields, the captain’s game improved markedly. Superb with four wickets in England’s second innings, his ball to remove Ollie Pope on the fourth morning, in particular, will take some beating for ball of the series.

But it’s with the bat where Cummins’ greatest contribution came: his two highest Test scores since December 2018 couldn’t have come at a better time, first an invaluable 38, and then a nerveless, unbeaten 44 to repeat his debut Test heroics against South Africa in 2011 and hit a winning boundary.

A captain’s moment if ever there was one.

Nathan Lyon – 8.5

Australia’s key advantage over England was always going to be Lyon’s extreme quality jump over any spinner the hosts could possibly name. And sure enough, with four wickets in each innings, the GOAT was the visitors’ biggest weapon throughout.

After being constantly attacked on the opening day – going at five an over and nearly 150 runs for his four wickets, including two stumpings – Lyon was immaculate on the fourth day to ensure England’s second innings never got out of hand. Removing their two Day 1 top-scorers in Root and Bairstow, plus a dangerous-looking Harry Brook too, was testament to the dangers present in being overly aggressive to the great off-spinner.

Like Cummins, though, Lyon’s Test will be remembered for his batting: adding 55 runs with his captain with the shadows lengthening on Day 5 is the stuff of instant Ashes folklore, while his club down the ground off Stuart Broad for four at the height of the tension will be the greatest shot he ever plays.

Scott Boland – 3.5

Having tormented India in the World Test Championship final to continue his extraordinary international record, Boland came crashing back to earth with a thud at Edgbaston.

His immaculate line and length became his weakness at a stroke: hindered further by an unhelpful surface, England’s batters cashed in, whether it was Zak Crawley striding down the wicket to turn a good length into a half-volley or Joe Root’s more audacious reverse-ramps over cover.

Picking up just two wickets and going at 5.65 an over, his only period of danger with the ball was on the third evening under darkening skies: making matters worse, his batting lengthened Australia’s tail to an alarming degree, though his gutsy stint as nightwatchman on the fourth evening at least helped reach stumps without a collapse. In fact, his contribution of 20 to the run chase was more than Labuschagne and Smith managed… combined.

Josh Hazlewood – 6

Recalled for Mitchell Starc from the World Test Championship XI, Hazlewood was quick to vindicate the decision when he picked up the first wicket of the series – Duckett lured into an edge off a wide tempter.

He’d add the crucial scalp of Stokes in similar fashion later on, and was unquestionably the pick of the Australian quicks on Day 1. Curiously underbowled with just 10 overs in England’s second innings, he added the wicket of Moeen Ali, gloving a bouncer behind, but was otherwise seldom sighted with Cummins preferring himself and Lyon throughout.

England

Zak Crawley – 6.5

Under pressure for his spot heading into the Test, Crawley etched his name into Ashes folklore when he smashed Cummins through the covers for four off the first ball of the series.

That would sum up a sparkling first-day 61 for the talented opener to set England up for a sizeable first-innings score; but in tougher conditions on the third evening, he’d struggle, managing just 7 before edging Cummins behind.

Ben Duckett – 2.5

Having headed into the series in superb form, Duckett now faces a problem – the Australian quicks know his refusal to leave the ball will bring him unstuck given time and patience.

Sure enough, he fell in both innings to airy wafts away from his body outside the off stump, presenting first an easy catch to Carey and then a stunner in the gully for Green.

Gets half a point extra on Smith and Labuschagne for at least reaching double figures in both innings, but was out before the 10-over mark twice – which would mean failure in a usual, non-Bazball team.

Ollie Pope – 4

Earmarked as England’s long-term number three, Pope had a frustrating first home Ashes Test. Getting off to bright starts in both innings with a series of crunching boundaries, a promising knock would be ended prematurely twice.

In the first innings, an ill-judged sweep off Lyon saw him trapped in front, while in the second, he was unlucky to cop Cummins’ all but unplayable inswinging yorker to lose his off stump. Did enough to suggest, though, that a more sizeable innings sometime this series is well and truly on the cards.

Joe Root – 9

After eight years without a Test century against Australia, Root’s relief was palpable when he brought up a match-defining three figures on the opening day to be the bedrock of England’s imposing first innings.

His remarkable success with one of world cricket’s most extraordinary shots – the reverse-ramp – meant the Australian quicks, Boland in particular, were often left flummoxed as to where to bowl to him. Was helped to no end by Cummins’ defensive field allowing him to farm singles at will, a tactical move that surely must be rectified for the second Test.

Loses a mark for throwing away another half-century – and possibly even more – with a wild shot off Lyon in the second innings that saw him stumped, swinging proceedings back Australia’s way; but regains it with his brilliant bowling on the final day, including the wicket of Carey on his third return catch chance.

Harry Brook – 6.5

Plenty of style and enough substance from England’s middle-order prodigy to suggest he could turn the series in one innings if given the chance.

Brook’s desire to take on all bowlers brought with it boundaries aplenty, brought up unlike Root with more classical Test match shots. He more than anyone was keen to dictate terms to Lyon, using his feet to get to the pitch of the ball and deposit the off-spinner over cover repeatedly.

However, it was Lyon who would get him in both innings – with the first dismissal one of the most extraordinary the Ashes has ever seen.

Ben Stokes (c) – 6

With the ball, Stokes used himself sparingly, though he did pick up crucial wickets in either innings, including that of Khawaja at last on the final day. With the bat, his second innings 43 loomed as a game-breaker until opposite captain Cummins trapped him LBW, and signalled the danger he will pose all series long.

His captaincy was far harder to define. On the one hand, his remarkable fields on the third morning helped run through Australia’s tail relatively quickly, while the extraordinary way his team play can only be credited to him and Brendon McCullum’s inspirational leadership.

But a number of tactical decisions will be ruminated over for weeks and years to come: declaring on the first day, not immediately taking the second new ball on the fifth, heavily bowling Moeen Ali early in the piece to leave his spinning finger all but disintegrated by the finish, are all legitimate questions that can be asked.

Jonny Bairstow (wk) – 3

For all the entertainment his run-a-ball first innings 78 provided, it was Bairstow’s wicketkeeping which cost England the Test.

His three missed chances – a simple stumping with Cameron Green on 0 in the first innings, a flubbed catch off Root on the brink of the second new ball, and his failure to even move for a regulation keeper’s catch off Khawaja in the first over of Australia’s second innings, all cost England dear.

Bairstow added 98 runs with the bat, but it’s likely his misses cost his team north of 200 – especially with Ben Foakes, deemed by many the world’s best gloveman, dropped to accomodate his return to the team.

Moeen Ali – 4

Picking the veteran for his first first-class game in nearly two years was always going to be a gamble: while Moeen definitely had his moments, it would in the end prove a misstep.

While he’d pick up three wickets – including Head in both innings and Green to a sensational off-break through the gate – he lacked the control of opposite spinner Lyon and was milked at more than four an over across both innings, releasing the pressure with regular poor balls. By the fifth day, so wrecked was his spinning finger by 33 first-innings overs that he was comfortably outbowled by part-timer Root.

With the bat, two brief cameos for 18 and 19 were handy at the time, but now seem a touch reckless given how the match finished.

Stuart Broad – 8.5

The last of England’s three seamers picked, by all reports, Broad was the pick of the bowlers across both teams throughout.

Having made Warner his bunny in the 2019 series, the veteran seems keen to add Smith and Labuschagne to his collection, an outswinger he claimed pre-series to be designed specifically for that duo removed the latter in both innings and the former on the fourth evening.

His one blemish came on the final day: while the early wicket of Boland gave him six for the Test, he was unable to find a way through Cummins and Lyon’s incredible rearguard, and perhaps overused the short ball once both were set.

Ollie Robinson – 6.5

When Broad retires, Robinson has ensured he has the inside running for Ashes chief villain status, courtesy of his controversial send-off for Khawaja after his first-innings 141.

Aside from that, the 29-year old more than proved his worth: while far from express pace, his accurate bowling brought with it five wickets for the match, cleaning up the tail in the first innings and removing Warner and Green in the second to twice break crucial partnerships.

Australian fans will no doubt delight that it was off his bowling that Cummins struck the winning runs.

James Anderson – 3.5

Playing his first full Ashes Test on home soil since 2015, having broken down at Edgbaston within minutes of the 2019 series beginning, the ageless 40-year old struggled to have an impact throughout.

Running through Carey with a beautiful nip-backer on the third morning, that would prove Anderson’s only wicket of the Test: while he’d always be difficult to get away, he was far from the menace he has always been in more favourable bowling conditions.

For a while, it looked like his second-innings 12 to put on 17 for the final wicket with Broad would be crucial; as it turned out, it was all in vain.