England v Australia: T20I team of the series

As thoughts now turn to a three-match ODI series, here’s Wisden.com‘s team of the series.

Aaron Finch

Australia’s captain set his side up for what should have been victory in the first T20I, smashing 46 from 32 balls to leave Australia needing 65 from nine overs before the middle order imploded. He got himself through the Wood-Archer pace barrage in the second T20I to collect 40 and delivered another handy start in the final T20I, hitting 39 off 26 balls to get the chase up and running, the time in a win.

Jos Buttler (wk)

After a quickfire 29-ball 44 in the first T20I, Buttler started, led and finished the job to seal the series in the second T20I, an expertly paced unbeaten 77 from 54 balls bringing about a six-wicket win. Didn’t play the third match but still deservedly landed the Player of the Series award.

Dawid Malan

Another strong series from the No.3 with a phenomenal T20I record. Malan top-scored in the first T20I with 66 off 43 balls, and his manoeuvring of Australia’s spinners in the second brought about a key 42 as Buttler got his eye in.

Marcus Stoinis

He failed to take his side over the line in the opener, but Stoinis did contribute to somewhat of a rearguard in the second, his 35 from 26 offering some respite after Australia were reduced to 30-3. Promoted to No.3 in the final T20I, he pumped Mark Wood for three fours and was looking in fine fettle before miscueing a Tom Curran slower ball to deep square leg to depart for 26. On a two-paced surface in which timing the ball looked tough, Stoinis’ innings was key in the final equation.

Eoin Morgan (c)

Just 12 runs in two innings for a man who has excelled in the format over the last year, but it’s for his captaincy – and a lack of other viable options – that Morgan lands a spot here. In the first T20I his troops delivered a stirring comeback and England’s fielding dropped a level in the third in the absence of their leader.

Mitchell Marsh

Played in just the final match of the series but made sure Australia avoided a repeat of their collapse in the first T20I, taking his side home with a watchful 39. There might have been a few nerves with two dots from the first two balls of the final over, but a quick single from the third did the job.

Ashton Agar

The understated left-arm spinner finished the series with five wickets at 19, recovering particularly well in the first T20I with final figures of 2-32 after Buttler took him for 16 in an over with the new ball. With the bat he held his nerve in Australia’s win to finish unbeaten on 16, adding to his 20-ball 23 in the previous match.

Adil Rashid

In all three matches, England’s masterly leg-spinner took a wicket in the final ball of his fourth over, and he did his best to try and conjure up another smash-and-grab in the final T20I, a googly to bowl Finch the highlight of an excellent spell. He finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series.

Mitchell Starc

By no means a great series for the left-arm quick, but he played his part in Australia’s sole win, economic with figures of 1-20 from his four overs, with just nine conceded from his two at the death. Like Archer and Wood, he was firing in the 90mph category and hit Joe Denly on the helmet with a particular fearsome bouncer.

Jofra Archer

He took some real tap in the final match of the series, but Archer’s eye-watering pace was pivotal to England’s success in the two games prior. In the first, his removal of David Warner proved key in halting Australia’s chase and he was excellent in the Powerplay a couple days later, cutting Australia’s southpaw opener in half with a brilliant delivery.

Mark Wood

Like Archer, Wood found little joy in the final T20I but he more than played his part in the first two, an important four-run over at the death in the first topped up with a hostile spell at the top in the second.