Sri Lanka v Australia: Australia Player Ratings

Sri Lanka clinched a supremely impressive series win over the Australia side following a wonderful series. For Australia however, it has been hard yards, especially after they have made several attempts to keep their top spot in the rankings intact. Moreover, the fact that they were swept aside by a side that is ranked much lower than them in the context of the recent past is something certainly extraordinary. Thus, we take a quick look at the player ratings for the Australian side.

David Warner – 7.5/10

The southpaw impressed with the bat despite his obvious predicament against playing spin. However, the fact that he was able to play with the spin and score important and quick runs atop the order was something far beyond comparison.

Joe Burns – 3/10

A terrible series for the opening batsman in terms of runs. He always seemed to fall behind the pace and could never make it past a high score of 29. He was replaced by Shaun Marsh for the final Test.

Shaun Marsh – 8/10

Shaun Marsh was perhaps the batsman who showed the Australian batsmen how to play spin on the diabolical SSC wicket. He managed to smash 130 runs apart from waiting out the opposition with some solid defensive work.

Steve Smith – 7.5/10

The Aussie skipper was perhaps one of the most consistent of the batsmen. However, as was the case with most of the batsmen, his ability to play spin was terrible as he could muster just a few hundred runs in the series.

Usman Khawaja – 4/10

The southpaw was thought to have been fine with spin until the frailties and flaws of his batting technique began to show. Needless to say, he could manage just 55 runs in the two matches he played in.

Mitchell Marsh – 5.5/10

The fast-bowling all-rounder showed flashes of brilliance with the bat when he attempted to make an aggressive statement. However, the fact that he got little purchase with the ball took center stage. He took two wickets and scored an impressive 163 runs.

Adam Voges – 4/10

Dubbed as Bradman Jr. Prior to the start of the series, little did Adam Voges know that his average would tremendously drop. He managed just over a 100 runs at an average of 19.

Peter Nevill – 6/10

Nevill stole the headlines following the dismissal of Dimuth Karunaratne. However, apart from some decent glove work, Peter Nevill failed to make anything with the bat.

Mitchell Starc – 9.5/10

The best fast bowler in the entire series by a country mile. The fact that he could pick up 24 wickets on a track that had extremely little for the faster bowlers showcases something certainly superhuman.

Nathan Lyon – 7/10

Nathan Lyon was arguably the best Australian spinner on the show. 16 wickets in the series altogether showcased yet another extraordinary bowling performance.

Moises Henriques – 4/10

The All-rounder failed to make an impact with both bat or ball. He bowled just the two overs in the entire series and managed just the 8 runs in the series as well.

Also read: Sri Lanka v Australia Test series: Combined XI

Josh Hazelwood – 4.5/10

Although he picked just the 7 wickets in the series, Josh Hazelwood proved to be the perfect foil for Mitchell Starc who concluded with all the wickets on the day.

Steve O’Keefe – 4/10

Many expected big things from Steve O’Keefe after his exploits in the tour match. However, after picking just three wickets, O’Keefe hobbled off to what looked like a hamstring injury.

Jon Holland – 3/10

The left-armer was brought in as cover for the injured Steve O’Keefe. However, the 29-year old could not make much of an impact in both Tests as he could muster just the 5 wickets in both Tests.

Jackson Bird – N/A