Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey

Australia vs India 4th Test Player Ratings

Series scoreline reads India 2-1 Australia.

Rather, it should read India 2-1 India’s poor team selection in Perth.

Rain and bad light saved Australia from an innings humiliation, after being forced to follow on for the first time in 31 years on home soil. Tim Paine might have been thinking to tell everyone to pack their bags and go home as soon as he lost the toss in Sydney, but the batting inspires low confidence to anyone but Shane Warne, it seems.

Australia’s top six struggled to the extent that they only batted 15.3 overs more than Cheteshwar Pujara on his own in the first innings, with the man of the series putting on a clinic in temperament and patience, something the Australians lack badly. In the end, the very light drizzle showed greater longevity than the Australian batsmen, which ultimately cost them as you look back at their poor first innings efforts at Adelaide and Melbourne. Australia’s Fox Sports commentators talked about a run-fest at the start of Australia’s innings, only to be bundled out for a deficit higher than their first innings total.

However, no credit can be taken away from India. They have won their first Test series in Australia, and in the process became the first team from Asia to win down under. Rain gave them greater competition than Australia’s batsmen, of which a lot is down to the quality in which they bowled. It is hard to remember an India attack so well-drilled and consistent, which holds them in good stead as they remain the number one Test side. Cheteshwar Pujara was deservedly man of the series, piling on the runs and misery for Australia in a masterclass in Test match batting.

In this article, I will rate each player out of ten. As always, feel free to leave a comment!

Australia

Marcus Harris: This man has written history. Unfortunately for Australia, it is not quite for the right reason. Harris’ 79 is the lowest highest Test score for Australia in a series in 100 years. His innings was promising, but his weak cut to get out was a late Christmas gift to India. The records keep breaking… 8

Usman Khawaja: “How long till Australia throw a wicket away?” Usman Khawaja didn’t keep us waiting very long. One of Australia’s most disappointing players for the series. Very little stomach for the big innings. If you compare him with India’s number three, Khawaja is The Big Bang Theory and Pujara is Seinfeld. 3

Marnus Labuschagne: On a hiding to nothing. Thrown in the deep end and was basically asked to “sink or swim” by incompetent team management, hoping that he turned into Marnus LabuShane Warne out of nowhere. His 38 was promising, showing relatively decent technique apart from planting the front foot at times. Long term number three option? No. 5

Shaun Marsh: Apparently fuming at the Sydney rain which cost him the opportunity to make an irrelevant score of 30-60 that keeps his place in the side for the next Test. It is time for Australia to look past Shaun Marsh in Test Cricket, but that is unlikely to happen. 1

Travis Head: Australia’s leading runscorer in the series heading into the Sydney Test. His dismissals, including Sydney, shows just how bad Australia played when a player who just couldn’t convert his starts was the best batsman in the team. Did he get out to a good ball this series? 3

Peter Handscomb: Made a better effort to get forward in his innings, but I’ll be having heart troubles and high blood pressure watching Handscomb against the moving ball in England. All the best to him. 5

Tim Paine: You know the going is tough when there is silence behind the stumps. Paine, as loud and animated as Ravi Shastri throughout the series, was as quiet as Shane Warne as he began to realise a total of 800 is just a little out of reach for Australia. Even Usman Khawaja was asked to bowl. Can’t sleep due to Pujara. Out driving against the turning ball. Muddled mind. 2

Pat Cummins: Ran out of steam. His dismissal when batting almost a reflection of his series. All effort, not always the luck to go with it. Tough outing with the ball in Sydney but Australia’s best performer in the series. 2

Mitchell Starc: One of Australia’s most disappointing performers. All over the place. Failed to bowl a single maiden. Couldn’t find the movement he has in the past. Cue the sandpaper jokes. 2

Nathan Lyon: Bowled nearly as many overs as Cheteshwar Pujara batted. Tried hard, but also ran out of steam. 5

Josh Hazlewood: An underwhelming series for Hazlewood. Didn’t find the movement he has in the past. Cue the sandpaper jokes. 4

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India

KL Rahul: Australia’s best batsman in the series. A deserving guard of honour. 1

Mayank Agarwal: Such a promising start to his Test career. He will be challenged by his peers to carry on from his starts. Threw it away when he had Australia at his mercy. Looks a good player indeed. 8

Cheteshwar Pujara: India’s rock. Tim Paine is sick at the sight of this man’s backside. A magnificent series ending with a brilliant 193 that kicked Australia while they were down. Deserved a double century. 10

Virat Kohli: If anyone said that India will win the series easily if Virat averages just 40, you might have laughed. 40 is certainly not a bad return, but given how much India relied on him earlier in the year, it was a big effort from others to step up. However, Kohli’s captaincy was superb, implementing great plans and fields to prize out wickets on a good batting track. The first India captain to ever lift a Test series trophy in Australia. 6

Ajinkya Rahane: He’s probably just done enough to keep his place in the side for the next series. Rahane can do better, though, and needs to lift as excellent talent in India is waiting in the wings for an opportunity. 3

Rishabh Pant: Knew Australia was there for the taking. Was challenged by coach Shastri to go out and get a big one, and that he did. Pujara had Australia on the mat, Pant kept the foot on the throat. A simple dropped catch the only lowlight. 9

Ravindra Jadeja: Superb all-round performance. Would India have won 3-0 had Jadeja been picked in Perth? Perhaps. 9

Mohammed Shami: Got the ball moving in the air and off the pitch. Impressive start to 2019. 8

Kuldeep Yadav: Tosses the ball up beautifully. Finds turn. Asks questions. This only means one thing – Australia will oblige and gift their wickets. Some absolutely beautiful bowling by Kuldeep. A very rewarding five-for. 8.5

Jasprit Bumrah: No big wickets in Sydney but what a performance in the series. Missed out only just to Cheteshwar Pujara for the man of the series award. Australian batsmen go to bed every night thinking of the threat of Bumrah. 7

Congratulations to India! It was a very deserved victory.

Pains me as an Australian fan to see Australia lose, but the gap between the two sides is quite large at the moment.

It is onto the ODI series for both these sides (3-0), followed by Sri Lanka for Australia. For India, a world of opportunity awaits.

Thanks for reading!

PS I recently partnered with the great team at onlinecricstore.com

• Purchase any cricket item and get a special discount with my name code: CHARBEL5
• Hope you enjoy my cricket tips on the OnlineCricStore Blog!

Australia vs India 4th Test Player Ratings