Could not have done more. Smashed the record books all series as he chased history and Bradman. His rampant run scoring put everyone else to shame, as evidenced by this staggering statistic: Smith hit more boundaries (92 fours, five sixes) than teammate David Warner had runs. It is not even remotely hyperbolic to suggest that had he not been in Australia’s line-up, there’s zero chance the Ashes would be coming back down under. TRAVIS HEAD – 4 191 runs @ 27.28. HS: 51 Started the series as Australia’s vice-captain, and ended it on the sideline after a poor tour that faded quickly after a solid showing at Edgbaston where his second-innings half-century helped dig Australia out of trouble and set up a crucial victory. Perhaps unlucky to be the fall guy for Australia’s shambolic openers, but scores of 0, 25, 19 and 12 from his final two Tests were not enough to save him from the axe. MATTHEW WADE – 7 337 runs @ 33.70. HS: 117 Wade bookended his series with centuries, but in between there was far more famine than feast. Brought back from the Test wilderness, Wade smashed a fine century at Edgbaston, chipped in with vital runs to partner Smith at Old Trafford and then notched another gutsy ton at the Oval, batting valiantly with England circling at the Oval. TIM PAINE – 6.5 180 runs @ 20. HS: 58 20 catches By retaining the Ashes on England soil, Paine did what Ricky Ponting, Greg Chappell and Michael Clarke couldn’t as Australian captain – and for that he deserves considerable praise. Paine’s captaincy, and bowling changes especially, were top-drawer during the tense victory in Manchester. Paine’s tactics in the Headingley meltdown, his decision to bowl first at the Oval and his poor use of DRS will be heavily dissected in the fallout of this series. PAT CUMMINS – 9.5 29 wickets @ 19.62. Best bowling: 4-32 If not for Steve Smith, Cummins was Australia’s player of the series. Played the dual role of Australia’s strike weapon and workhorse, sending down 1266 deliveries – more than any other seamer – for a series-high 29 wickets. It hardly tells the full story. Cummins was consistently brilliant. JOSH HAZLEWOOD – 8.5 20 wickets @ 21.85. BB: 5-30 Overlooked for the first Test, and returned with a vengeance at Lord’s to reclaim his spot among Australia’s first-choice bowling attack. Finished level with Nathan Lyon as Australia’s second most prolific wickettaker and was unplayable in the first innings at Headingley, where he inspired England’s 67 all out. NATHAN LYON – 6 20 wickets @ 33.40. BB: 6-49 After bowling Australia to victory with an inspired display in the opening Test, when he took 6-49 on a wearing dayfive wicket, Lyon went past Dennis Lillee to become the third most prolific wicket-taker in Australian history. Things went south quickly at Headingley though, where he struggled with the ball – taking 2-114 in the second innings – and infamously fumbled what would’ve been the matchwinning runout. PETER SIDDLE – 6 5 wickets @ 33.40 Had been a huge part of Australia’s plans for this series, with his knowledge of local conditions and agreeable style,
AUSTRALIA will return home with the Ashes in their possession – but there’ll be some regrets about not having secured a first series victory on England soil since 2001. We run the rule over the Australian performances throughout the series. DAVID WARNER – 1 95 runs @ 9.5. High score: 61 Will leave England with major question marks hanging over his future after undoubtedly the worst series of his career. Never before has an opener played all five Tests and scored so few. Sure to have nightmares about Stuart Broad after the veteran England quick dismissed him an incredible seven times in five Tests. MARCUS HARRIS – 1 58 runs @ 9.66. HS: 19 Harris is not the first player to struggle in his first overseas Ashes tour, but has been badly exposed at the top level. After a decent showing in the home summer against India, the 27-year-old has crashed back to earth, failing to reach 20 in his six innings and averaging a mere 0.16 more than Warner’s historically poor series. 353 runs @ 50.42. HS: 80 The find of the Ashes from an Australian perspective and one of only a handful to have enhanced his reputation. Subbed in at Lord’s for a concussed Steve Smith, Labuschagne filed the superstar’s boots as best as anyone could – hitting four consecutive half-centuries to finish comfortably Australia’s second highest runscorer. STEVE SMITH – 10 774 runs @ 110.6. HS: 211 Steve Smith (AUS) .............. 774 @ 110.57 Ben Stokes (ENG) ................. 441 @ 55.12 Rory Burns (ENG) .............. 390 @ 39.00 Marnus Labuschagne (AUS) ... 353 @ 50.42 Matthew Wade (AUS) ......... 337 @ 33.70 Joe Root (ENG) ................... 325 @ 32.50 Pat Cummins (AUS) ............... 29 @ 19.62 Stuart Broad (ENG) ............... 23 @ 26.65 Jofra Archer (ENG) ............... 22 @ 20.27 Josh Hazlewood (AUS) ......... 20 @ 21.85 Nathan Lyon (AUS) .............. 20 @ 33.40 Jack Leach (ENG) ................... 12 @ 25.83 and that faith seemed well placed after Siddle bowled superbly in Australia’s Edgbaston triumph, where his economy and control were key to suffocating England’s batsmen. Bowled without luck in the drawn Test at Lord’s and lost his place in the team for the third Test in Leeds before his Oval recall. JAMES PATTINSON - 6 5 wickets @ 33.40. BB: 2-9 Brought with him a great deal of excitement as he arrived on English shores fully fit after several injury-plagued years. Was Australia’s most economical paceman at Headingley, and claimed two wickets in the first-innings rout of England. But the snarling paceman didn’t quite deliver on the lofty expectations, finishing with just five wickets. MITCHELL STARC – 6 4 wickets @ 31.50. BB: 3-80 To many in Australia, Starc was a shock omission for the first three Tests. The former pace leader was one of history’s most experienced drinks carriers before being unleashed at Manchester. There he provided everything you expect: he was expensive and loose, but proved a constant wickettaking threat. MITCHELL MARSH – 6.5 41 runs @ 20.50. HS: 24 7 wickets @ 12.28. BB: 5-46 Hard to be judged on just one Test, but certainly didn’t waste his chance after being thrown into the action at the Oval. The maligned all-rounder claimed a maiden five-wicket haul and backed it up with two more scalps in the second innings. CAMERON BANCROFT – 2 44 runs @ 11. HS: 16 Given the first shot at being David Warner’s opening partner, ahead of Marcus Harris, Bancroft fluffed his lines. Finished with the third worst average of Australia’s specialist batsmen – although the two he bettered were Warner and Harris. USMAN KHAWAJA - 4 122 runs @ 20.33. HS: 40 An underwhelming series for one of Australia’s most experienced players, with much expected of the No.3. Started promisingly and looked better than those numbers suggested. But the good starts dried up and Khawaja lost his spot for the final two Tests.