Former Test captain Mark Taylor has given a rating and his opinion on how every one of Australia’s players fared in the fifth Ashes Test.
Australia completed a spectacular victory charge at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, taking 10 wickets for 56 runs under lights as they stormed to a 146-run win.
The day-three victory saw Australia close out the Ashes 4-0.
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These are Taylor’s playing ratings and thoughts from the final Test of the series.
David Warner: “Obviously a disappointing Test match for Warner, but it was a disappointing match for a lot of batsmen. Green pitch, under lights, pink ball – top-of-the-order batting doesn’t get much tougher than that. Warner also dropped that very simple chance. Tough game for him.” 1/10
Usman Khawaja: “You can say the same with Khawaja. He got a few more than Warner but not many. Completely different conditions to when he made twin tons in Sydney.” 2/10
Marnus Labuschagne: “His 44 in the first innings was handy. I know he got a life early on, but he made some very handy runs. They were all very valuable runs when the ball was zipping around.” 4/10
Steve Smith: “Looked good in the second innings. I thought he was going to make a big score in the second innings when he got through that tricky period, but he played an uncharacteristic shot to be out on day three for 27. One of those disappointing days for him, but he had plenty of mates in the same boat on a bowling deck.” 3/10
Travis Head: “That century in the first dig was clearly the innings of the game. To make a hundred on that deck is a big hundred because it was hard batting for the entire game. Great to see Head return to Test cricket this summer and do very, very well.” 9/10
Cameron Green: “Made 74, took three crucial wickets late on day three and fielded brilliantly in the gully. An excellent Test match again and a series where he really come on as a player. What a cricketer Cameron Green is promising to be. A very impressive young all-rounder.” 9/10
Alex Carey: “I still have a little question mark about his ‘keeping, particular his positioning as a ‘keeper. He took catches he should have taken, but he’s just not moving as well as he should behind the stumps. I think he’s still got some improvement in him in his keeping. On the other hand, Carey’s 49 on the third day gave Australia a much healthier total to defend.” 7/10
Mitchell Starc: “It was a good Test match for Mitchell Starc. I thought he had an excellent series. Picked up some vital wickets at crucial times, none bigger than Ben Stokes’ wicket on the third day.” 7/10
Scott Boland bowls Joe Root
Pat Cummins: “Bowled well, particularly in the first innings, and I thought he led the side very well as skipper. Kept a cool head, looks in control as captain. An excellent series for his first series as skipper and he was again fantastic in Hobart.” 8/10
Scott Boland: “He just keeps picking up wickets. His line and length is relentless, he hits the deck hard and he troubled England’s batsmen an enormous amount in the series and in Hobart. He’s really gone from Shield discard to Test star. You can’t ask for any more than a player as a fifth bowler in the set-up at the age of 32 to come in and do what he did in the series. Just fantastic.” 9/10
Nathan Lyon: “It’s a bit hard to give Lyon a rating seeing as he didn’t bowl a single ball. But he still contributed with a quick-fire 30 with the bat in the first innings, and let’s not forget his two catches. The catch he took to remove Ben Stokes in the first innings at backward point was a beauty. Those sorts of moments in the field make a huge difference.” 7/10
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