South Africa v Australia ODI Series – Australia Player Ratings

Australia were down and out when they stepped on the field for the 5th ODI. Having lost the first 4 ODIs of the 5 match series, they were staring down at a series whitewash. Australia had never faced a 5-0 whitewash in the ODI cricket history. South Africa posed a serious threat to the unwanted distinction. By the end of the series, South Africa achieved it in style.

For the visitors, the new pace brigade failed miserably in the series as none of the new pacers could live up to the expectation. The batting department saw sporadic individual brilliances. Only David Warner was the silver spoon for the Aussies on the tour. The dismal outing needs to be left behind so that they can focus on the Test series that begins on November 3.

Here are the player ratings for the Australia team in this series:

David Warner – 9/10:

The one man who led Australian batting throughout the series was David Warner. With 386 runs to his name, Warner emerged as the leading run-getter in the series. He averaged 77.2 with the bat and struck 2 magnificent tons in the series. He had an impressive strike rate as well, that of 113.52. He started with a 36-ball 40 in the first ODI and then came up with a half century in the second.

Also read- South Africa v Australia, ODI series – South Africa Players Ratings

He struck a majestic ton, 117 off 107 balls, in the third ODI. However, his efforts weren’t enough to see his side win the match. A rare failure occurred in the 4th ODI where he could score just 6. He was the lonely warrior in the final ODI when he gave a brief scare to South Africa with 173 off 136 balls in the run chase. He was only unlucky to have ended on the losing side.

Aaron Finch – 3/10:

Opener Aaron Finch had a disappointing series much like most other Aussie batsmen. Finch made a flying start to the series with a 28-ball 33 in the first ODI. He scored a half century in the 3rd ODI after that. Barring those two knocks, he did not get starts in the series. Possibly this was the reason why Australian batting struggled to get off to flying starts.

He scored 108 runs in 5 matches at a lowly average of 21.6. On most occasions, he was found taking unnecessary risks. When he was expected to explode, he ended up imploding that gives him only 3 in the ratings.

Steve Smith – 5/10:

The series turned out to be the most forgettable tour for skipper Steven Smith. On the personal front, the lone high for him in the series came in the 3rd ODI. He struck a 107-ball 108 in that match and was involved in a crucial partnership with David Warner. Apart from that innings, he failed to cross the 30-run mark in the other 4 matches.

His aggregate of 151 runs in the series with an average of 30.2 was not enough to give stability to Australian batting. Moreover, his captaincy also struggled. He struggled with shuffling his bowlers and was found wanting for options on most occasions.

George Bailey – 4/10:

George Bailey started the series on a positive note. He top scored for his side in the first ODI with a well-complied 74. He just couldn’t carry forward the same form in the matches that followed. Scores of 9, 28, 1 and 2 followed in the next matches. He averaged 22.80 in the series in 5 matches with 114 runs to his name.

Bailey was expected to hold the fort in the middle-order with Steve Smith. However, neither did Smith click not did Bailey respond well to crisis situations. Australia will only hope for Bailey to be back in form in the series that follows.

Travis Head – 4.5/10:

Travis Head has been a good find for Australia in the limited overs. However, the new find hasn’t quite clicked in this series. He notched up one score in excess of 50 in the series. He aggregated 139 runs at an average of 27.8 in 5 matches. His only fifty came in 2^nd ODI but in quick time. He scored 51 off 45 balls as Australia crashed to a low score of 219.

Skipper Steve Smith threw the  ball to him in search of some part time options. He filled up the overs but wasn’t very tough to negotiate for the in-form South African batters. His only wicket came in the run fest 3rd ODI when he dismissed Faf du Plessis. The kind of potential he has, he certainly could have delivered better.

Mitchell Marsh – 5/10:

Mitchell Marsh responded well at times when the top order failed to contribute. He batted sensibly in the lower middle order. In 5 matches, he scored 137 runs at an average of 27.4. He got starts but failed to make it to a big score. He could not bail his side out of trouble but often held the fort for a brief while. He scored 31 off 25 balls in the first match.

He scored a half century, 50 off 72 balls, in the 4th ODI when the entire team collapsed for 167. In the last ODI, he scored another brisk 35 that came off 38 balls. On the bowling front, he scalped 4 wickets in 5 matches with a best of 2/68 and an economy of 6.75.

Also read- Twitter Reactions: South Africa whitewash Australia 5-0 despite Warner’s heroics

Matthew Wade – 4/10:

Matthew Wade had an ordinary series too. A couple of starts but no big conversions. His 52 off 58 balls in the low scoring 4th ODI comes as a stand out performance for him in the series. He amassed 113 runs to his name at an average of 37.66. The higher end of the average can be accredited to his unbeaten finishes.

His wicket-keeping was nothing out of the ordinary either. He was also involved in a physical altercation with Tabraiz Shamsi in the 4th ODI. Though there are no points for fair play here, Matthew Wade should have made his bat do the talking.

Adam Zampa – 4/10:

A lot was expected from Adam Zampa before the tour commenced. He was being rated as the dark horse for Australian bowling. However, the South African batters found him absolutely negotiable and he posed little or no threat at all. In the 5 matches that he played, he picked up only 3 wickets. His average of 72.66 is the worst among the frontline bowlers in the series.

His best figures were in the 4th ODI when he returned with figures of 1/32 in his 6.3 overs. He could not even manage a 2-wicket all, which was a clear disappointment for the visiting side. His economy was 6.84 throughout the series.

John Hastings – 5/10:

John Hastings was arguably the most successful bowler for Australia on the tour. Playing as the seniormost bowler, he tried well to guide the younger lot on flat surfaces. Hastings started off poorly going wicketless in the first ODI with 0/52. He came up figures of 3/57 in the ODI that followed. He bagged a wicket each in the next two ODIs.

He was rested for the last ODI. He scalped 5 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 43. However, his economy ran close to 7 and a bowler of his caliber should have done a lot better than what his numbers suggest. Hastings gets only 5 in the ratings.

Scott Boland – 5.5/10:

Scott Boland was the most economical Australian bowler on the tour with an economy of 6.19. In the 3 matches that he played, he bagged 5 wickets in the 3 matches that he played with a 3-wicket haul to his name. He averaged 34.20 with the ball. Scott Boland was the pick of the bowlers for Australia in the first ODI with figures of 3/67. He was the only bowler who bowled tight line when Quinton de Kock thrashed Australian bowling with a brilliant 178.

He did not feature in the next 2 ODIs and made it to the playing eleven in the 4th ODI. He went wicketless but gave away only 36 runs in his 10 overs. In the final ODI, he bagged two wickets. His impressive bowling was one of the few positives for the Australian team.

Chris Tremain – 6/10:

Chris Tremain made his ODI debut during the 2nd ODI of the series. He had a terrible outing as South African batters took a special liking to him. He returned with figures of 1/78 on debut. However, as the series progressed, his performances improved with every match. He bagged 2/48 in the 4th ODI and got his career best figure of 3/64 in the final ODI.

However, his bowling lacked discipline. He struggled with his line and lengths. He had a poor economy of 6.37, which is high from the standards of a frontline bowler. He ended his series with 7 wickets to his name in 4 matches at an average of 36.42.

Also read- South Africa v Australia, 5th ODI – 5 Talking Points

Dan Worrall – 1/10:

Pace Dan Worrall had a tough time playing in South Africa. He made his debut against Ireland and returned with figures of 1/43. Following that, he got two opportunities to play in the series against Australia. The South Australian found it absolutely difficult to get through the South African batting line-up.

He went wicketless in the tournament. He bowled a total of 16.2 overs but only to leak runs at an economy close to 8 an over. He had nothing to show in the wickets column. Bowling coach Ryan Harris feels that he will surely learn from the tour. Australia can only hope for the same to happen.

Joe Mennie – 6/10:

Joe Mennie had a horrible time at the middle when he first turned up for Australia in the 2nd ODI. He was taken away for 82 runs as he went wicketless on the day. His next appearance for the team was in the final ODI. Clearly, he had his basics covered and showed much better implementation.

Mennie was the pick of the bowlers for Australia in the final ODI with figures of 3/49 in his 10 overs. In a match when South Africa scored in excess of 300, his performance was really commendable. For a young man to stage a comeback after a horrid debut, it was a remarkable turnaround. He gets 6 in the ratings.