The<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/its-laughable-to-point-fingers-at-the-hundred-for-ashes-debacle-says-eoin-morgan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Ashes</strong></a> is undoubtedly the greatest rivalry in the game of cricket. A few years ago, each Ashes series used to be a neck to neck competition where even the host team had to hustle a lot to make the result in their favor.  However, nowadays, one or the other squad is having issues and the level of competition is not as intense as it used to be earlier.

Throughout the series, the Aussie team looked invincible and they were undefeated. They almost did a 5-0 had it not been a draw at SCG. Australians were dominating but they also had some weak areas which they need to fix as soon as possible. The English side also had some game-changers who fought for their team with their heart out but ended up on the losing side. In this article, we are going to decode the

Best combined XI of the recently concluded Ashes

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-477237" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/David-Warner.jpg" alt="David Warner" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-477237" class="wp-caption-text">David Warner. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Both the team’s opening partnerships were terrible. All of the openers failed to perform except one. David Warner was brilliant in the first half of the series. He scored 273 runs off five matches at an average of 32.20. He was on number four in the list of most run-scorers of the series. The Aussie star was exceptional in some of the games.

He didn’t score a hundred but he had two ninety-plus scores in the series that too when the team needed it from him. He adds one more dimension to his gameplay that is his fielding. He was excellent in slips. He walked into The Ashes after an amazing T20 World Cup campaign in UAE. He was the best opener on display.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594861" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Usman-Khawaja.jpg" alt="Usman Khawaja" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594861" class="wp-caption-text">Usman Khawaja. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The top performances of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/inclusivity-and-values-as-a-sport-are-so-important-usman-khawaja-delighted-with-pat-cummins-gesture-of-stopping-champagne-celebration-for-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Usman Khawaja</strong></a> came while batting in the middle-order but he opened the innings for Australia in the closing Test match of the series. He scored twin hundreds in the Sydney Test matches and marked one of the greatest comebacks in the history of cricket. He ensured the Aussie management that he can again serve as a regular feature in the Test side.

Usman Khwaja played the last two Test matches of the series and scored 255 runs in just four innings at an extraordinary average of 85.00. He scored a brilliant 137 in the first innings of the Sydney Test match and again scored a 101 in the second innings. He opened the batting in the last Test match.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-589006" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Marnus-Labuschagne-2.jpg" alt="Marnus Labuschagne" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-589006" class="wp-caption-text">Marnus Labuschagne. (Photo by Peter Mundy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Currently, the number one ranked Test batter, Marnus Labuschagne showcased his form in The Ashes too. He is one of Australia’s consistent performers with the bat in recent times in the longest format of the game. Marnus was sound with the bat in the series and he entertained everyone with his on-field banters with English batters.

He scored 335 runs in nine innings of the five-Test matches in the series at an average of 41.88. He scored two fifties and one hundred in the series. He was awarded the player of the match in the second Test in Adelaide. Australia has very much faith in him and hopefully, he will live up to their expectations.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-592289" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Joe-Root-3.jpg" alt="Joe Root" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-592289" class="wp-caption-text">Joe Root. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ecb-launches-investigation-as-joe-root-james-anderson-seen-in-booze-party-at-hobart-hotel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Root</strong></a> was one of the English players who played well despite tough batting conditions. He had an amazing 2021 scoring so many runs and tons and he displayed his form in The Ashes 2021-22 too. He scored three fifties in the series but he lacked support from the other end on most of the occasions.

He scored 322 runs in five matches of the series at an average of 32.2. He was at number three on the list of highest run-scorers in the series and scored the most runs for England. He is the number two ranked Test batter currently and was number one before getting surpassed by Marnus Labuschange. England will want more consistency from him in the coming years.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-586886" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Travis-Head.jpg" alt="Travis Head" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-586886" class="wp-caption-text">Travis Head. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)</figcaption>

The player of the series in The Ashes 2021-22, Travis Head had a series to remember and cherish in the future. He batted with a strike rate of 86.02 and had 39 fours and four maximums in the series. He made his intentions very clear in the very first innings of the series when he scored 152 quickfire runs and kept English players on backfoot.

He scored 357 runs in six innings at an average of 59.5 which included two centuries and one fifty. Unfortunately, he missed the Sydney Test match otherwise he would have added some more runs to his name. His fearless and bold attitude was highly praised by cricket experts and fans all over the world.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594802" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594802" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/reports-ben-stokes-pulls-out-of-ipl-2022-citing-recovery-of-englands-test-form/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ben Stokes</strong></a> came back from the break that he took before the India series to play The Ashes series and proved to be England’s best performer in the series. He excelled in all three departments whether it was the bat, ball, or taking the field for England. He needed some support from the other players which was lacking in the series.

He scored 236 runs in the 5 Test matches at an acceptable average of 23.6 which also included two fifties. He picked four wickets in the series, three of which came in one inning. He did everything in his capacity for his team. He is undoubtedly the best all-rounder in cricket among the current set of players.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594976" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jonny-Bairstow-.jpg" alt="Jonny Bairstow" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594976" class="wp-caption-text">Jonny Bairstow. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ashes-2021-22-three-spectators-evicted-from-scg-for-abusing-jonny-bairstow-and-ben-stokes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jonny Bairstow</strong> </a>did not keep wickets in this series but he deserves a place in the playing XI. He played the third and fourth Test match of the series and scored a hundred at Sydney. Bairstow’s hundred was the only three-digit score by an English batter in the series. He made a good-looking 41 in the second innings of the Sydney Test too.

He scored 194 runs in the four innings of the two-Test matches he played. He batted at an average of 48.5. Ollie Poe was preferred over Bairstow initially in the series but the back-to-back failures of Pope made way for the Yorkshire batter who made the most of the opportunity and played brilliantly against the lethal Aussie pace attack.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-591167" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Cameron-Green-1.jpg" alt="Cameron Green" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-591167" class="wp-caption-text">Cameron Green. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Cameron Green is gradually cementing his place in the mighty Australian Test team. He is rated highly by the former Australian cricketers and is considered the future of Australian cricket. He has been impressive since his Test debut for Australia. In nine Test matches of his career so far, he has scored 464 runs and has 13 dismissals to his name.

He was brilliant in his first Ashes series too. He scored 228 runs in eight innings at an average of 32.57 which included two quality fifties. With the ball, he picked 13 wickets and he gave Australia breakthroughs when they needed the most. He was fantastic while fielding too and he took some serious catches at gully.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-586572" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-586572" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Australian skipper led the Australian team from the front and was an example for the rest of his teammates. He was brilliant with the ball in hand and was also the leader of the Aussie pace attack. He was captaining the team for the first time and that too in The Ashes. You need guts for doing that and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-have-signed-up-for-it-pat-cummins-confirms-he-will-participate-in-the-ipl-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pat Cummins</strong></a> did that quite beautifully.

He picked a fifer on his captaincy debut. He missed a Test match but despite that, he was the leading wicket-taker of the series picking 21 wickets at a bowling average of 18.05. He topped the chart of leading wicket-takers for the third series in succession. He is currently the number one ranked bowler in Test cricket.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-547743" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mark-Wood.jpg" alt="Mark Wood" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-547743" class="wp-caption-text">Mark Wood. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Mark Wood was one of England’s positives from the series. Mark Wood was on fire with the ball in the closing Test match of the series at Hobart where he picked three wickets in the first innings and was more brilliant in the second innings picking six of the 10 Australian wickets. He played a good inning with the bat too in Sydney hitting 39 quick runs off 41 balls.

Wood was the leading wicket-taker for England in the series picking 17 wickets in four games at a bowling average of 26.65. The figure he had in the second innings of the Hobart Test match was his career-best bowling figures in Test cricket. He was fast in the air and was hitting the deck very hard.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-592242" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Scott-Boland-Australia-team.jpg" alt="Scott Boland" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-592242" class="wp-caption-text">Scott Boland. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption>

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/scott-boland-makes-impressive-debut-in-icc-mens-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scott Boland</strong></a> made his Test debut for Australia at the age of 32 in the third Test match at Melbourne. He has been unstoppable since his debut. He became a threat for the English batters in his first Test itself. In the second innings of his debut Test match, he stunned the Englishmen by picking six wickets for seven runs in a span of just four overs.

He played the last three games of the series but ended up being third in the list of leading-wicket takers. He was the player of the match in his debut game. He carried his form to Sydney and dismissed four English batters in the first innings which included the wicket of English skipper who got dismissed for a duck. He picked three wickets in the second innings too.

<p>The<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/its-laughable-to-point-fingers-at-the-hundred-for-ashes-debacle-says-eoin-morgan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Ashes</strong></a> is undoubtedly the greatest rivalry in the game of cricket. A few years ago, each Ashes series used to be a neck to neck competition where even the host team had to hustle a lot to make the result in their favor.&nbsp; However, nowadays, one or the other squad is having issues and the level of competition is not as intense as it used to be earlier.</p>
<p>Throughout the series, the Aussie team looked invincible and they were undefeated. They almost did a 5-0 had it not been a draw at SCG. Australians were dominating but they also had some weak areas which they need to fix as soon as possible. The English side also had some game-changers who fought for their team with their heart out but ended up on the losing side. In this article, we are going to decode the</p>
<h3>Best combined XI of the recently concluded Ashes</h3>
<h3><strong>1. David Warner</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_477237" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-477237" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-477237" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/David-Warner.jpg" alt="David Warner" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-477237" class="wp-caption-text">David Warner. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Both the team’s opening partnerships were terrible. All of the openers failed to perform except one. David Warner was brilliant in the first half of the series. He scored 273 runs off five matches at an average of 32.20. He was on number four in the list of most run-scorers of the series. The Aussie star was exceptional in some of the games.</p>
<p>He didn’t score a hundred but he had two ninety-plus scores in the series that too when the team needed it from him. He adds one more dimension to his gameplay that is his fielding. He was excellent in slips. He walked into The Ashes after an amazing T20 World Cup campaign in UAE. He was the best opener on display.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>2. Usman Khawaja</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_594861" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594861" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-594861" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Usman-Khawaja.jpg" alt="Usman Khawaja" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594861" class="wp-caption-text">Usman Khawaja. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The top performances of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/inclusivity-and-values-as-a-sport-are-so-important-usman-khawaja-delighted-with-pat-cummins-gesture-of-stopping-champagne-celebration-for-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Usman Khawaja</strong></a> came while batting in the middle-order but he opened the innings for Australia in the closing Test match of the series. He scored twin hundreds in the Sydney Test matches and marked one of the greatest comebacks in the history of cricket. He ensured the Aussie management that he can again serve as a regular feature in the Test side.</p>
<p>Usman Khwaja played the last two Test matches of the series and scored 255 runs in just four innings at an extraordinary average of 85.00. He scored a brilliant 137 in the first innings of the Sydney Test match and again scored a 101 in the second innings. He opened the batting in the last Test match.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>3. Marnus Labuschagne</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_589006" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-589006" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-589006" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Marnus-Labuschagne-2.jpg" alt="Marnus Labuschagne" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-589006" class="wp-caption-text">Marnus Labuschagne. (Photo by Peter Mundy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Currently, the number one ranked Test batter, Marnus Labuschagne showcased his form in The Ashes too. He is one of Australia’s consistent performers with the bat in recent times in the longest format of the game. Marnus was sound with the bat in the series and he entertained everyone with his on-field banters with English batters.</p>
<p>He scored 335 runs in nine innings of the five-Test matches in the series at an average of 41.88. He scored two fifties and one hundred in the series. He was awarded the player of the match in the second Test in Adelaide. Australia has very much faith in him and hopefully, he will live up to their expectations.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>4. Joe Root</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_592289" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-592289" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-592289" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Joe-Root-3.jpg" alt="Joe Root" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-592289" class="wp-caption-text">Joe Root. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ecb-launches-investigation-as-joe-root-james-anderson-seen-in-booze-party-at-hobart-hotel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Root</strong></a> was one of the English players who played well despite tough batting conditions. He had an amazing 2021 scoring so many runs and tons and he displayed his form in The Ashes 2021-22 too. He scored three fifties in the series but he lacked support from the other end on most of the occasions.</p>
<p>He scored 322 runs in five matches of the series at an average of 32.2. He was at number three on the list of highest run-scorers in the series and scored the most runs for England. He is the number two ranked Test batter currently and was number one before getting surpassed by Marnus Labuschange. England will want more consistency from him in the coming years.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>5. Travis Head</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_586886" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-586886" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-586886" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Travis-Head.jpg" alt="Travis Head" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-586886" class="wp-caption-text">Travis Head. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The player of the series in The Ashes 2021-22, Travis Head had a series to remember and cherish in the future. He batted with a strike rate of 86.02 and had 39 fours and four maximums in the series. He made his intentions very clear in the very first innings of the series when he scored 152 quickfire runs and kept English players on backfoot.</p>
<p>He scored 357 runs in six innings at an average of 59.5 which included two centuries and one fifty. Unfortunately, he missed the Sydney Test match otherwise he would have added some more runs to his name. His fearless and bold attitude was highly praised by cricket experts and fans all over the world.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>6. Ben Stokes</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_594802" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594802" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-594802" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594802" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/reports-ben-stokes-pulls-out-of-ipl-2022-citing-recovery-of-englands-test-form/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ben Stokes</strong></a> came back from the break that he took before the India series to play The Ashes series and proved to be England’s best performer in the series. He excelled in all three departments whether it was the bat, ball, or taking the field for England. He needed some support from the other players which was lacking in the series.</p>
<p>He scored 236 runs in the 5 Test matches at an acceptable average of 23.6 which also included two fifties. He picked four wickets in the series, three of which came in one inning. He did everything in his capacity for his team. He is undoubtedly the best all-rounder in cricket among the current set of players.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>7. Jonny Bairstow (WK)</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_594976" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594976" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-594976" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jonny-Bairstow-.jpg" alt="Jonny Bairstow" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594976" class="wp-caption-text">Jonny Bairstow. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ashes-2021-22-three-spectators-evicted-from-scg-for-abusing-jonny-bairstow-and-ben-stokes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jonny Bairstow</strong> </a>did not keep wickets in this series but he deserves a place in the playing XI. He played the third and fourth Test match of the series and scored a hundred at Sydney. Bairstow’s hundred was the only three-digit score by an English batter in the series. He made a good-looking 41 in the second innings of the Sydney Test too.</p>
<p>He scored 194 runs in the four innings of the two-Test matches he played. He batted at an average of 48.5. Ollie Poe was preferred over Bairstow initially in the series but the back-to-back failures of Pope made way for the Yorkshire batter who made the most of the opportunity and played brilliantly against the lethal Aussie pace attack.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>8. Cameron Green</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_591167" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-591167" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-591167" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Cameron-Green-1.jpg" alt="Cameron Green" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-591167" class="wp-caption-text">Cameron Green. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Cameron Green is gradually cementing his place in the mighty Australian Test team. He is rated highly by the former Australian cricketers and is considered the future of Australian cricket. He has been impressive since his Test debut for Australia. In nine Test matches of his career so far, he has scored 464 runs and has 13 dismissals to his name.</p>
<p>He was brilliant in his first Ashes series too. He scored 228 runs in eight innings at an average of 32.57 which included two quality fifties. With the ball, he picked 13 wickets and he gave Australia breakthroughs when they needed the most. He was fantastic while fielding too and he took some serious catches at gully.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>9. Pat Cummins (C)</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_586572" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-586572" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-586572" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-586572" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Australian skipper led the Australian team from the front and was an example for the rest of his teammates. He was brilliant with the ball in hand and was also the leader of the Aussie pace attack. He was captaining the team for the first time and that too in The Ashes. You need guts for doing that and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-have-signed-up-for-it-pat-cummins-confirms-he-will-participate-in-the-ipl-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pat Cummins</strong></a> did that quite beautifully.</p>
<p>He picked a fifer on his captaincy debut. He missed a Test match but despite that, he was the leading wicket-taker of the series picking 21 wickets at a bowling average of 18.05. He topped the chart of leading wicket-takers for the third series in succession. He is currently the number one ranked bowler in Test cricket.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>10. Mark Wood</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_547743" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-547743" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-547743" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mark-Wood.jpg" alt="Mark Wood" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-547743" class="wp-caption-text">Mark Wood. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Mark Wood was one of England’s positives from the series. Mark Wood was on fire with the ball in the closing Test match of the series at Hobart where he picked three wickets in the first innings and was more brilliant in the second innings picking six of the 10 Australian wickets. He played a good inning with the bat too in Sydney hitting 39 quick runs off 41 balls.</p>
<p>Wood was the leading wicket-taker for England in the series picking 17 wickets in four games at a bowling average of 26.65. The figure he had in the second innings of the Hobart Test match was his career-best bowling figures in Test cricket. He was fast in the air and was hitting the deck very hard.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong>11. Scott Boland</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_592242" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-592242" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-592242" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Scott-Boland-Australia-team.jpg" alt="Scott Boland" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-592242" class="wp-caption-text">Scott Boland. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/scott-boland-makes-impressive-debut-in-icc-mens-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scott Boland</strong></a> made his Test debut for Australia at the age of 32 in the third Test match at Melbourne. He has been unstoppable since his debut. He became a threat for the English batters in his first Test itself. In the second innings of his debut Test match, he stunned the Englishmen by picking six wickets for seven runs in a span of just four overs.</p>
<p>He played the last three games of the series but ended up being third in the list of leading-wicket takers. He was the player of the match in his debut game. He carried his form to Sydney and dismissed four English batters in the first innings which included the wicket of English skipper who got dismissed for a duck. He picked three wickets in the second innings too.</p>

<p>The<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/its-laughable-to-point-fingers-at-the-hundred-for-ashes-debacle-says-eoin-morgan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong> Ashes</strong></a> is undoubtedly the greatest rivalry in the game of cricket. A few years ago, each Ashes series used to be a neck to neck competition where even the host team had to hustle a lot to make the result in their favor.  However, nowadays, one or the other squad is having issues and the level of competition is not as intense as it used to be earlier.</p>
<p>Throughout the series, the Aussie team looked invincible and they were undefeated. They almost did a 5-0 had it not been a draw at SCG. Australians were dominating but they also had some weak areas which they need to fix as soon as possible. The English side also had some game-changers who fought for their team with their heart out but ended up on the losing side. In this article, we are going to decode the</p>
<h3>Best combined XI of the recently concluded Ashes</h3>
<h3><strong>1. David Warner</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_477237" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-477237" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-477237" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/David-Warner.jpg" alt="David Warner" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-477237" class="wp-caption-text">David Warner. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Both the team’s opening partnerships were terrible. All of the openers failed to perform except one. David Warner was brilliant in the first half of the series. He scored 273 runs off five matches at an average of 32.20. He was on number four in the list of most run-scorers of the series. The Aussie star was exceptional in some of the games.</p>
<p>He didn’t score a hundred but he had two ninety-plus scores in the series that too when the team needed it from him. He adds one more dimension to his gameplay that is his fielding. He was excellent in slips. He walked into The Ashes after an amazing T20 World Cup campaign in UAE. He was the best opener on display.</p>
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<h3><strong>2. Usman Khawaja</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_594861" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594861" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594861" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Usman-Khawaja.jpg" alt="Usman Khawaja" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594861" class="wp-caption-text">Usman Khawaja. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The top performances of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/inclusivity-and-values-as-a-sport-are-so-important-usman-khawaja-delighted-with-pat-cummins-gesture-of-stopping-champagne-celebration-for-him/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Usman Khawaja</strong></a> came while batting in the middle-order but he opened the innings for Australia in the closing Test match of the series. He scored twin hundreds in the Sydney Test matches and marked one of the greatest comebacks in the history of cricket. He ensured the Aussie management that he can again serve as a regular feature in the Test side.</p>
<p>Usman Khwaja played the last two Test matches of the series and scored 255 runs in just four innings at an extraordinary average of 85.00. He scored a brilliant 137 in the first innings of the Sydney Test match and again scored a 101 in the second innings. He opened the batting in the last Test match.</p>
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<h3><strong>3. Marnus Labuschagne</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_589006" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-589006" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-589006" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Marnus-Labuschagne-2.jpg" alt="Marnus Labuschagne" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-589006" class="wp-caption-text">Marnus Labuschagne. (Photo by Peter Mundy/Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Currently, the number one ranked Test batter, Marnus Labuschagne showcased his form in The Ashes too. He is one of Australia’s consistent performers with the bat in recent times in the longest format of the game. Marnus was sound with the bat in the series and he entertained everyone with his on-field banters with English batters.</p>
<p>He scored 335 runs in nine innings of the five-Test matches in the series at an average of 41.88. He scored two fifties and one hundred in the series. He was awarded the player of the match in the second Test in Adelaide. Australia has very much faith in him and hopefully, he will live up to their expectations.</p>
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<h3><strong>4. Joe Root</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_592289" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-592289" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-592289" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Joe-Root-3.jpg" alt="Joe Root" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-592289" class="wp-caption-text">Joe Root. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ecb-launches-investigation-as-joe-root-james-anderson-seen-in-booze-party-at-hobart-hotel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Root</strong></a> was one of the English players who played well despite tough batting conditions. He had an amazing 2021 scoring so many runs and tons and he displayed his form in The Ashes 2021-22 too. He scored three fifties in the series but he lacked support from the other end on most of the occasions.</p>
<p>He scored 322 runs in five matches of the series at an average of 32.2. He was at number three on the list of highest run-scorers in the series and scored the most runs for England. He is the number two ranked Test batter currently and was number one before getting surpassed by Marnus Labuschange. England will want more consistency from him in the coming years.</p>
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<h3><strong>5. Travis Head</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_586886" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-586886" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-586886" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Travis-Head.jpg" alt="Travis Head" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-586886" class="wp-caption-text">Travis Head. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The player of the series in The Ashes 2021-22, Travis Head had a series to remember and cherish in the future. He batted with a strike rate of 86.02 and had 39 fours and four maximums in the series. He made his intentions very clear in the very first innings of the series when he scored 152 quickfire runs and kept English players on backfoot.</p>
<p>He scored 357 runs in six innings at an average of 59.5 which included two centuries and one fifty. Unfortunately, he missed the Sydney Test match otherwise he would have added some more runs to his name. His fearless and bold attitude was highly praised by cricket experts and fans all over the world.</p>
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<h3><strong>6. Ben Stokes</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_594802" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594802" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594802" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Ben-Stokes.jpg" alt="Ben Stokes" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594802" class="wp-caption-text">Ben Stokes. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/reports-ben-stokes-pulls-out-of-ipl-2022-citing-recovery-of-englands-test-form/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ben Stokes</strong></a> came back from the break that he took before the India series to play The Ashes series and proved to be England’s best performer in the series. He excelled in all three departments whether it was the bat, ball, or taking the field for England. He needed some support from the other players which was lacking in the series.</p>
<p>He scored 236 runs in the 5 Test matches at an acceptable average of 23.6 which also included two fifties. He picked four wickets in the series, three of which came in one inning. He did everything in his capacity for his team. He is undoubtedly the best all-rounder in cricket among the current set of players.</p>
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<h3><strong>7. Jonny Bairstow (WK)</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_594976" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-594976" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-594976" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Jonny-Bairstow-.jpg" alt="Jonny Bairstow" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-594976" class="wp-caption-text">Jonny Bairstow. (Photo by Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ashes-2021-22-three-spectators-evicted-from-scg-for-abusing-jonny-bairstow-and-ben-stokes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jonny Bairstow</strong> </a>did not keep wickets in this series but he deserves a place in the playing XI. He played the third and fourth Test match of the series and scored a hundred at Sydney. Bairstow’s hundred was the only three-digit score by an English batter in the series. He made a good-looking 41 in the second innings of the Sydney Test too.</p>
<p>He scored 194 runs in the four innings of the two-Test matches he played. He batted at an average of 48.5. Ollie Poe was preferred over Bairstow initially in the series but the back-to-back failures of Pope made way for the Yorkshire batter who made the most of the opportunity and played brilliantly against the lethal Aussie pace attack.</p>
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<h3><strong>8. Cameron Green</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_591167" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-591167" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-591167" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Cameron-Green-1.jpg" alt="Cameron Green" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-591167" class="wp-caption-text">Cameron Green. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Cameron Green is gradually cementing his place in the mighty Australian Test team. He is rated highly by the former Australian cricketers and is considered the future of Australian cricket. He has been impressive since his Test debut for Australia. In nine Test matches of his career so far, he has scored 464 runs and has 13 dismissals to his name.</p>
<p>He was brilliant in his first Ashes series too. He scored 228 runs in eight innings at an average of 32.57 which included two quality fifties. With the ball, he picked 13 wickets and he gave Australia breakthroughs when they needed the most. He was fantastic while fielding too and he took some serious catches at gully.</p>
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<h3><strong>9. Pat Cummins (C)</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_586572" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-586572" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-586572" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Pat-Cummins.jpg" alt="Pat Cummins" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-586572" class="wp-caption-text">Pat Cummins. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
<p>The Australian skipper led the Australian team from the front and was an example for the rest of his teammates. He was brilliant with the ball in hand and was also the leader of the Aussie pace attack. He was captaining the team for the first time and that too in The Ashes. You need guts for doing that and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/i-have-signed-up-for-it-pat-cummins-confirms-he-will-participate-in-the-ipl-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Pat Cummins</strong></a> did that quite beautifully.</p>
<p>He picked a fifer on his captaincy debut. He missed a Test match but despite that, he was the leading wicket-taker of the series picking 21 wickets at a bowling average of 18.05. He topped the chart of leading wicket-takers for the third series in succession. He is currently the number one ranked bowler in Test cricket.</p>
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<h3><strong>10. Mark Wood</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_547743" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-547743" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-547743" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mark-Wood.jpg" alt="Mark Wood" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-547743" class="wp-caption-text">Mark Wood. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>Mark Wood was one of England’s positives from the series. Mark Wood was on fire with the ball in the closing Test match of the series at Hobart where he picked three wickets in the first innings and was more brilliant in the second innings picking six of the 10 Australian wickets. He played a good inning with the bat too in Sydney hitting 39 quick runs off 41 balls.</p>
<p>Wood was the leading wicket-taker for England in the series picking 17 wickets in four games at a bowling average of 26.65. The figure he had in the second innings of the Hobart Test match was his career-best bowling figures in Test cricket. He was fast in the air and was hitting the deck very hard.</p>
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<h3><strong>11. Scott Boland</strong></h3>
<figure id="attachment_592242" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-592242" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-592242" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Scott-Boland-Australia-team.jpg" alt="Scott Boland" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-592242" class="wp-caption-text">Scott Boland. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/scott-boland-makes-impressive-debut-in-icc-mens-test-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Scott Boland</strong></a> made his Test debut for Australia at the age of 32 in the third Test match at Melbourne. He has been unstoppable since his debut. He became a threat for the English batters in his first Test itself. In the second innings of his debut Test match, he stunned the Englishmen by picking six wickets for seven runs in a span of just four overs.</p>
<p>He played the last three games of the series but ended up being third in the list of leading-wicket takers. He was the player of the match in his debut game. He carried his form to Sydney and dismissed four English batters in the first innings which included the wicket of English skipper who got dismissed for a duck. He picked three wickets in the second innings too.</p>

Australia thrashed England 4-0 in the Ashes 2021-22.

Combined best XI of The Ashes 2021-22

A few years ago, each Ashes series used to be a neck to neck competition with even hosts hustling a lot to make the result in their favor.