India v Australia: Every player rated after the third Test in Indore

Has Nathan Lyon ever played a more important Test for Australia? See how the GOAT and every Aussie rated in our player ratings from the Indore Test.

India v Australia third Test player ratings

Can a Test which only lasted seven sessions be classed as an epic?

The Indore Test will be remembered for the pitch as much as the cricket, but was a game of twists and turns up until the third day which started with Australia needing 76 runs to win.

Matt Kuhnemann and Nathan Lyon were the Aussie heroes with the ball while a 96-run partnership between Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne during the first innings was decisive.

The series might be out of reach, but this was a memorable performance by Steve Smith’s side capped by Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne’s second-innings partnership.

Here’s how every player ranked.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE HOW EVERY PLAYER RATED

Usman Khawaja played brilliantly in the first innings on a tough Indore pitch.

USMAN KHAWAJA 8.5

The opener’s first-innings 60 was worth 150 on a normal pitch. Outstanding knock which should rank amongst Khawaja’s best as, without it, it’s a different ball-game for Australia. A second innings duck should not dull the impact he made on the game.

TRAVIS HEAD 8.5

Failed in the first innings but broke the shackles with stirring bravado in the second innings for one of the most significant innings of his career when he brazenly smoked the Indian attack to all parts. Suddenly the dodgy deck seemed to lose its claws. For a player who had struggled overseas this could be a watershed moment. Might just have rocked India’s confidence entering the final Test. To think he couldn’t make the first Test team …

MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE 8

Wallows in pressure. Lives for the tough stuff. Innings of 31 and 24 not out might not seem spectacular on paper but they were two crucial, heavy duty innings, the second breaking open the game. Could have been out three times in his first innings 31 off 91 balls, but you make your own luck in this game and Labuschagne does it better than most.

STEVE SMITH 8

Again didn’t kick on from making a good start, but Smith’s captaincy – and catching – was world class. This ranks as one of the finest moments of Smith’s captaincy career – even though this came in the capacity of caretaker. With skipper Pat Cummins back in Australia and the team 2-0 down following humiliating defeats in Nagpur and Delhi, Smith led an inspired fightback which cements a place in the World Test Championship Final.

Peter Handscomb.

PETER HANDSCOMB 6

Only shows up as 19 on the scoresheet, but once again Handscomb was a vital piece in Australia’s batting performance. Handscomb’s defence against spin has looked excellent and although he hasn’t moved the scoreboard along as quickly as others, there is hope his career revival could continue in the Ashes.

CAMERON GREEN 6.5

Given he didn’t play in the opening two Tests with injury, Green made a solid return with the bat and was extremely unlucky to be given out lbw. In a Test where the umpires basically gave nothing out and got everything wrong, Green was fired after being struck on the pad to a Umesh Yadav delivery that looked to be going down leg. Umpire’s call had the ball clipping the stumps so Green had to go.

ALEX CAREY 7.5

Failed with the bat, but was outstanding with the gloves in difficult conditions. Got a stumping and a catch in the first half and kept things very tidy behind the stumps.

MITCHELL STARC 6.5

Only took one wicket for the match but Starc showed he is Australia’s best subcontinental fast bowler. Should have had a wicket with the first ball of the Test (not for the first time in his career) but inexplicably didn’t review it. Starc looked threatening and really took the fight to India when the spinners weren’t operating.

Nathan Lyon after his second innings heroics.

NATHAN LYON 10

Has to rank in Nathan Lyon’s top three ever Test matches. Taking 8-64 in the second dig and 11 wickets for the match, the relentless Australian off-spinner iced the match superbly for his country. Some might have wondered after Todd Murphy’s stunning debut in Nagpur when a changing of the guard might happen, but Lyon has shown he ain’t going anywhere. Has been a class act in Delhi and Indore.

TODD MURPHY 6.5

Only took one wicket for the match, but Murphy deserved more. Super economical in the second innings, Murphy put the clamps on India and the pressure he built was crucial. In the first innings, Murphy got the key wicket of Virat Kohli (for the third time) just when Kohli looked at his most dangerous this series.

MATTHEW KUHNEMANN 8

Outstanding second game for Kuhnemann who played without nerves. The Queenslander claimed 5-16 in the first innings and was the architect behind India’s all out for 109 collapse. Then Kuhnemann trapped Virat Kohli lbw in the second innings – another vital wicket in the context of the game. Kuhnemann, at 26 years of age, has set up a big future for himself on subcontinental tours.

Matthew Kuhnemann appeals for a wicket.

Originally published as India v Australia: Every player rated after the third Test in Indore