After thrashing the West Indies by 164 runs in Perth, Australia did even better in Adelaide, winning by 419 runs to clinch the series 2-0 and retain the Frank Worrell Trophy. Here are player ratings for Australia from the series:
Marnus Labuschagne – 9.75/10
502 runs @ 167.33; 3 hundreds, HS: 204
How does one rate a batter whose series scores read 204, 104*, 163, 31? The seventh man to score 500 runs in a two-match Test series, Labuschagne is now back to the top of the ICC rankings and is set to spread dread among opposition bowlers once again as South Africa prepare to take on Australia next.
Travis Head – 9.5/10
312 runs @ 156; one hundred one fifty, HS: 175
It feels ridiculous that a batter is not the best in his side despite averaging 156. Head made 99, 175, and an unbeaten 38. He may score a quarter of a point less, but his lowest score was still more than Labuschagne’s.
Steve Smith – 9.25/10
255 runs @ 127.50; one hundred, HS: 200*
If Head being second-best is ridiculous, how do can Smith’s average of 127.50 be in third place? He did make a duck – but that was his first dismissal of the series in his third innings, after nearly eight hours of batting.
Alex Carey – 8/10
49 runs @ 49, HS: 41*; C: 10
Carey batted twice in the series, both times with an eye on the declaration, and struck at 75. He was sound behind the stumps and ended the series with 10 catches.
Usman Khawaja – 7/10
178 runs @ 44.40; two fifties, HS: 65
Khawaja’s series was also impressive, but looks ordinary when pitted against his lofty standards this year. He went past Jonny Bairstow’s 2022 tally of 1,061 runs, and seems set to get the 33 runs that will take him past Joe Root’s 1,098 against South Africa in week’s time.
David Warner – 3/10
102 runs @ 25.50, HS: 48
It was a quiet series for Warner on the pitch. He got three starts but failed to convert any of them to a fifty, getting out to innocuous deliveries each time. Australia will expect more from their senior opener in their upcoming series.
Cam Green – 2/10
14 runs @ 7, HS: 18
2 wickets @ 62, BBI: 1-35
Green was perhaps the only Australian to struggle with the bat. He seldom looked threatening with the ball as well (though he bowled a vicious bouncer to Nkrumah Bonner). Given his obvious talent however, it should be a matter of time before he turns things around.
Michael Neser – 9/10
5 wickets @ 11.20, BBI: 3-22
Summoned as Josh Hazlewood’s cover for the second Test, Neser struck twice early in the first innings and wrapped up the tail without much fuss in the second. South Africa are going to pose a steeper challenge, but the Australian pace backup is ready should the main three continue to struggle with injury.
Mitchell Starc – 9/10
9 wickets @ 21.44; BBI: 3-29
The only Australian fast bowler to play both Test matches, Starc demonstrated why he is the spearhead of the Australian attack. Quick and probing, he struck at regular intervals throughout the series.
Scott Boland – 8.5/10
3 wickets @ 15, BBI: 3-16
Replacing Pat Cummins in the second Test, Boland sent down 26 overs in Adelaide of which 25 were wicketless. In the other over, his first of the second innings, he took three wickets without conceding a run, rekindling memories of last year’s Boxing Day Test match.
Pat Cummins – 9/10
3 wickets @ 11.33, BBI: 3-34
Cummins was only around for Australia’s first bowling innings of the series. He hardly bowled a loose ball and dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite – the West Indies top scorer – and took two wickets towards the end of the match.
Josh Hazlewood – 2/10
2 wickets @ 52.50, BBI: 1-52
A rare ordinary outing for Hazlewood at Perth before a side strain forced him out of the Adelaide Test match. He took 2-105 across both innings but is likely to play key role in the South Africa series should he be back fit.
Nathan Lyon – 9/10
12 wickets @ 21.17; one five-for, BBI: 6-128
Australia needed Lyon the most in the second innings of Perth, when they were a bowler short on a wicket that offered little to spinners. Lyon sent down 42.5 overs, varying flight beautifully, mixing up off-breaks with sliders. His 6-128 was Australia’s only five-wicket haul in the series and saw him surpass Shane Warne’s record wicket-tally for the Adelaide Oval.
