Player ratings from Australia vs India Test series

After nearly a whole month of breathtaking action that brought together millions of people across two huge countries of the world - India and Australia, India finally scripted history by becoming the first-ever Asian team to return home with a series win from Down Under.

Wins in Adelaide and Melbourne in the First and Third Tests gave the visitors 2-1 lead in the series. Though Australia showed signs of a fightback, winning the Second Test at Perth, it wasn't enough to stop India from winning the series.

Players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant enhanced their reputation in world cricket with some outstanding performances. These names will be remembered for years to come, whenever India play against Australia in a Test series.

Here in this article, we take a look at the Player ratings from Australia vs India Test series.

---

Australia

1. Tim Paine, Captain

Rating: 5/10

Paine had an average series, both as captain and as a batsman. He made just 174 runs across 7 innings, with a high score of 41. Paine made the most of his headlines by virtue of his banter-wars with Rishabh Pant the young Indian wicket-keeper.

2. Marcus Harris

Rating: 7/10

Harris had a good debut series for the hosts. He top-scored for Australia with 258 runs from 7 innings, contributing to 14.23% of the hosts' total batting numbers. His highest score of 79 came in the first innings at Sydney. It was one of the two 50+ scores he made in the series.

3. Usman Khawaja

Rating: 5/10

All hopes of Aussies’ batting line up rested on the shoulders of Usman Khawaja. However, Khawaja made just 198 runs across 7 innings, including a best of 72 runs in the second innings at Perth, helping the hosts script their lone win. Otherwise, the left-hander was just about sub-par in his batting.

4. Aaron Finch-

Rating: 4/10

The right-handed batsman had a good 2018, especially in limited over games. But the swashbuckling opener could not convert his form when it came to the longer format, accounting for just 97 runs in 6 innings. He was dropped from the team for the fourth Test.

5. Travis Head

Rating: 6/10

Head was one of the few good batsmen for Australia in the series, accounting for 237 runs from the seven innings he played. He was also the only batsman apart from Harris to cross 200 runs for Australia in the series. The 72 runs he scored in the second innings of the first Test was full of grit, and it almost gave Australia a vital innings lead.

6. Peter Handscomb

Rating: 5/10

Handscomb was another failure with the bat for Australia, having made just 105 runs across five innings in three Tests. His highest score from the series was 37. He was specifically weaker against the moving ball, getting dismissed four out of five times while attempting to drive away from the body, offering catches to Pant, or in the slips.

7. Shaun Marsh

Rating: 5/10

Shaun Marsh disappointed again

Marsh scored 183 runs from 6 innings in the series, including a best of 60 from the first game where he almost brought the hosts to the win. He also made a couple of 40-plus scores, one each in the second and third Tests, but despite being the senior player he lacked consistency and it hurt Australia.

8. Mitchell Starc

Rating: 5/10

With 13 wickets from four matches, Starc was one of the prime pacers in the Aussie lineup. While batting, he also made 117 runs from the seven innings he got, outscoring recognized batsmen like Handscomb and Finch. Starc's pace and inswinging yorkers made him an important part of Tim Paine's bowling resources.

9. Pat Cummins

Rating: 7.5/10

Cummins was brilliant with both bat and ball

Cummins was easily the best player for Australia, picking up 14 wickets with the ball across four Tests. He also scored 163 runs from seven innings, helping to save the face of his side on more than one occasion, when more designated batsmen failed to rise up to the occasion.

More than his efforts with the ball, Cummins will be remembered for his brave batting in the first and third Tests, especially the latter when he made 63 runs in vain as Australia spiraled to a crushing 146-run defeat.

10. Nathan Lyon

Rating: 8.5/10

Lyon was another star performer for Australia in the whole series. The spinner not only effected some great dismissals throughout the set of contests, but he also added 83 vital runs across seven innings. That his contribution with the bat came from lower down the order, makes it all the more special.

Lyon was also the leading wicket-taker for Australia in the series. He picked up 21 wickets across seven innings. His best of 6/122 that came in the second Test gave Australia their lone win of the series.

11. Josh Hazlewood

Rating: 5/10

The Aussie fans had high hopes from Hazlewood heading into the series, but the 28-year old was the least effective Australian fast bowler, picking up just 13 wickets from 7 outings. He looked tired in the fourth Test and went for more than 100 runs as the Indian batsmen ran riot. The impeccable line and length that is usually associated with his bowling was found missing.

India

1. Murali Vijay

Rating: 3/10

The Indian team management showed great faith in Vijay’s abilities by drafting him into the playing XI for the first two Tests. But the opening batsmen from Tamil Nadu made only 49 runs from four innings. These repeated failures cost him his place in the team as India opted for Mayank Agarwal in the third and fourth Test.

2. Lokesh Rahul

Rating: 3/10

K.L Rahul got his chance as the regular opener Prithvi Shaw got injured in the warm-up game. After a torrid tour of England, this series was considered as the last chance for Rahul to prove himself but the stylish opening batsman was very poor with the bat, making just 57 runs from five innings. He was also dropped from the team for the third Test.

3. Mayank Agarwal

Rating: 8/10

After performing for so long in domestic cricket, the talented opener from Karnataka finally got his chance in the third Test at the MCG and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Mayank accumulated 195 runs from just 3 innings, crossing the 50-run mark on two occasions. His positive intent at the top, help build a strong base for the remaining batsmen.

4. Cheteshwar Pujara

Rating: 10/10

Pujara scored 3 centuries in the series

The Man of the Series was in great form throughout the series. His stubborn approach at the crease tired the Aussie bowling attack. Pujara was on top of his game and made a mammoth 521 runs in the series. It was undoubtedly his best overseas performance for the Indian team.

5. Virat Kohli (Captain)

Rating: 7/10

Kohli was not his usual fluent best in the series but still got a fantastic hundred on a tough Perth pitch. A total of 282 runs from 7 innings is a bit below par for the best batsman in world cricket. He was, however, brilliant with his captaincy throughout the series, making some bold choices in the form of Mayank Agarwal and Kuldeep Yadav which did pay off handsomely.

6. Ajinkya Rahane

Rating: 5/10

After having a brilliant tour down under in 2014, a lot was expected from India’s vice-captain but he could not live up to the expectations, scoring just 201 runs. His 70 run knock in the first Test did help India clinch victory. He got several starts but failed to convert them into big scores.

7. Rohit Sharma

Rating: 6/10

Rohit Sharma was drafted into India’s test squad as he is generally good on bouncy pitches. He played ahead of Hanuma Vihari at Adelaide but had scores of 37 and 1 from his two innings at Adelaide. He missed the second Test due to injury but made up for it with a fine fifty in the third Test at MCG.

8. Hanuma Vihari

Rating: 6/10

It was Hanuma Vihari’s chance to cement his place in the Indian test team but the middle-order batsman failed to get some big scores under his belt. Vihari did impress with his composure and technique at the crease but his failure to convert his starts may cost him big in future. He was made to open at the MCG and did a good job of seeing out the new ball in the first innings.

9. Rishabh Pant

Rating: 8/10

Pant scored a wonderful century in the Sydney Test

Pant impressed with both the bat and his cheeky humour behind the stumps. His banter with Tim Paine left the cricket fans in splits. His 20 catches in the series is a record for an Indian keeper in a Test series. Pant also chipped in with some crucial runs for India and was the second highest run-scorer in the series behind Pujara (521), smashing 350 runs with 159 not out being his highest score which he managed in the Sydney Test

10. Ravichandran Ashwin

Rating: 7/10

Ashwin took six wickets in the Adelaide Test, troubling the Aussies batsmen with his guile and variations. However, he suffered a side strain in the first Test and subsequently missed the remaining Tests of the series.

11. Ravindra Jadeja

Rating: 7/10

Jadeja was left out of the first two Tests but was a menace with the ball in the third Test at Melbourne. Although he scored just 9 runs at MCG, he made up for it by picking 5 crucial wickets in the Test. In the Sydney Test, he helped India to a strong position by scoring a whirlwind knock of 81 runs.

12. Kuldeep Yadav

Rating: 7/10

Kuldeep was a member of the squad for only the last Test at Sydney and did his reputation no harm with a wonderful 5-wicket haul. The left-arm chinaman picked up the crucial wickets of Usman Khawaja and Travis Head and helped India enforce the follow on.

13. Mohammed Shami

Rating: 8/10

Shami was one of India’s best bowlers on the tour and picked up 16 wickets in the series. His 6-wicket haul at Perth was a treat to watch. Shami worked up some good pace throughout the series and was a constant threat for the Aussies. His strong showing in the Tests earned him a place in the Indian ODI squad as well.

14. Ishant Sharma

Rating: 7/10

The lanky fast bowler from Delhi performed reasonably well in the series and did not give the Aussies any easy runs at the top. Although his pace was a bit down as compared to other fast bowlers, his probing line and length helped him pick up 11 wickets from 6 outings. He did not play the last Test due to injury concerns.

15. Jasprit Bumrah

Rating: 9/10

Jasprit Bumrah was brilliant throughout the series

Bumrah was easily the best bowler on show from both the sides. The 25-year old showed some great maturity with the ball and emerged as the joint highest wicket-taker of the series with 21 wickets. Australian batsmen found his slingy action difficult to handle and were at sixes and sevens against Bumrah during the whole Test series. His brilliant slower ball to get rid of Shaun Marsh in the third Test was a masterpiece.