Ashes : Player ratings for Perth Test

ENGLAND

Alistair Cook: His terrific form in the last two tests notwithstanding, he came a cropper at the WACA. He got a start in the first innings but failed to convert it into a big one. With 391 to chase in the second innings, he fell for just 13 paving the way for other English batsmen to follow suit and collapse quickly. Cook gets a 4 for the third test.

Andrew Strauss: Strauss made a fighting half century in the first innings but got out when he edged one to Haddin off Ryan Harris. None of the English batsmen put up much of a resistance in the innings and their captain was no exception getting only 15 runs. There is also not much to write about his captaincy. It looked like his gamble of bowling first worked when Australia were 69-5 but the lower order resilience ensured Australia would have the last laugh. He gets a 5 for this game.

Jonathan Trott: Trott got off the mark with a boundary in the first innings but alas, that was his only scoring shot in the innings. He was out plumb in front of the wicket to Johnson in the first innings. He top scored in the second innings with 31 but 31 was really insufficient to win the match for England. He gets a 4 for this match.

Kevin Pietersen: The Adelaide test was all about KP’s return to form. However, there was no sign of the Pietersen we saw in Adelaide. He got out on the second ball for a duck in the first innings and made paltry score of 3 in the second innings. For the Perth test, KP gets a 3.

Ian Bell: Top scorer in England’s first innings with a 53 but when he departed, the last wickets fell for the space of only a single run. His vigil at the crease in the second innings was quite short and on the whole, Bell would have left Perth thinking he could have much better. He gets a 5 for this match.

Paul Collingwood: Collingwood’s indifferent form with the bat continues. He was rapped on the pads when he was on 5 in the first innings. The umpire he gave him not out but Ponting went upstairs and the replays confirmed that the ball would have hit the top of the off stump. He got out on the last ball of the third day, ending with him any hopes of English resistance. He picked up the wicket of Johnson in the second innings- the only silver lining in the cloud for him. He gets a 4 for this match.

Matt Prior: Prior’s batting in the test has been awful. He got just 22 runs in the game. He was excellent behind the wickets though and took four catches in the game. He picked up the 100th catch of his career when he caught Michael Clarke off Tremlett. He gets 6.

James Anderson: There were fears about Anderson underperforming because of jet lag but all the fears were dispelled once he started bolwing. He made most of the first day pitch and picked up three wickets. He could only pick up 1 wicket in the second innings. Anderson is a bowler with some batting ability but this test could not bring out his batting expertise. He got a duck and 3 in the first and second innings respectively. He gets a 6.5 for this match.

Steve Finn: The first was the only day when England were in control of the match and Steve Finn picked up couple of wickets in the innings. He fared better in the second innings, picking up three wickets. A small matter of concern though will be the rate at which he gets scored off. He gets a 7 for this game.

Graeme Swann: Swann has had a phenomenal form for the past one and a half years but it seems to have deserted him now. While he did pick up two wickets in the first innings, including that of Mr. Cricket, he flopped in the second innings, bowling only nine overs and going at nearly run a ball. Hussey especially treated him with disdain. He could not do with the bat also. He gets a 5 for this game.

Chris Tremlett: Tremlett’s is the sort of dream comeback cricketers hope for. The only blotch though will be that he ended up on the losing side. He got Phil Hughes in the second over of the game itself. He topped his impressive bowling in the first innings with a five wicket haul (the first of his career) in the second. With a match haul of eight wickets, he has proved his worth to the selectors. He gets 8.5 for this game.

AUSTRALIA

Phil Hughes: Phil Hughes has painful memories of playing against England. He was dropped mid way through the last Ashes series. Having been recalled as Simon Katich got injured, he could have made the opportunity count. However, Tremlett cleaned him up in the first innings for 2 and Finn got him out for 12 in the second innings. He gets 3 for this game.

Shane Watson: Watson is in good form with the bat and that continued in Perth. Although he got only 13 runs in the first innings, he scored a 95 in the second and laid foundations for Australia’s victory. He will however be ruing the fact that he gets out often when he is in the nineties. With Australia’s frontline bowlers doing the job, he did not have to bowl. His fielding at first slip has been good. He gets a 7 for this game.

Ricky Ponting: Ponting’s woeful form with the bat continues. For a long time, he was the player who’s wicket was most treasured by the opposition but these days, opposition do not count him as much of a threat. His plan of going in with four fast bowlers worked with the inclusion of Mitchell Johnson turned out to be a master stroke. Apparently he saved his skin by winning in Perth but he must score quickly or he’ll be shown the door. He gets a 3.5 for this game.

Michael Clarke: Clarke like Ponting has not been too good with the bat in the recent past. His stay at the crease in the first innings was very short having scored 4 off 10 balls. He showed glimpses of the old Clarke in the second innings but just when it looked like he would get a big one, got an inside edge onto his stumps, thus flattering to deceive. He gets a 3.5 for this game.

Michael Hussey: Mr. Cricket has been in sublime form in the series and was once again Australia’s crisis man. He got a half century in the first innings and a match winning hundred in the second. His ability to stay unruffled under pressure has been of great help to Australia. He has now become the highest scorer of the series and a leading contender for the Man of the Series award. He gets 8.

Steven Smith: Smith was picked in place of Marcus North having impressed with his batting in England against Pakistan. He scored only seven in the first innings but scored a crucial 36 in the second. He did not get an opportunity to bowl. He will have to improve his bowling and batting both in order to retain his place in the side. He gets a 4.5 for this match.

Brad Haddin: Haddin may not be another Adam Gilchrist but is very good behind the stumps. His batting also is quite good. He led Australia’s comeback with Michael Hussey on the first day and scored an important half century. He got off the mark with a six in the second innings but fell soon after that. He gets a 6 for this game.

Mitchell Johnson: Everybody’s hailing the ‘other Mitchell Johnson’ and why not? Having been left out for the second test after a disastrous outing in Brisbane, his comeback in Perth has been sensational. He was always in the game. He was the top scorer in Australia’s first innings with 62 which in the end, would prove very crucial. When he came on to bowl on the second day, he just ran through England batting order. The English players had no clue to Johnson’s swing and his six for 38 turned the game on its head. He picked up important wickets of Strauss and Trott in the second innings to end up with match haul of 8 wickets. He thoroughly deserves the Man of the Match award. He gets 8.5 for this game.

Peter Siddle: Siddle, after his first day six wicket haul at the Gabba seems to have gone into hibernation. He did not bowl a lot in this test. He bowled only 9 overs in the first innings and picked up the wicket of Matt Prior. He bowled just 4 overs in the second and did not pick up any wicket. He gets a 4.5 for this game.

Ryan Harris: Ryan Harris was the lone bowler who bowled well for Australia in Adelaide and he continued the good show in Perth. He picked up three English wickets in the first innings. But he was not satisfied with that and tore through England’s middle and lower batting order and in the process finished with his career best figures of 6-47. He gets an 8 for this test.Ben Hilfenhaus: Like Johnson, Hilfenhaus was dropped for the second. He bowled well in this test but could not pick up many wickets. He had none in the first innings. He picked up the wicket of Kevin Pietersen in the second. He gets 5 for the match.