Australia v Pakistan player ratings: Warner’s perfect 10, Starc catches fire
There’s only one fitting score for triple centurion David Warner. But what happens when someone plays for four days and doesn’t bat, bowl or take a catch? See who starred and who flopped in Adelaide.
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Can an individual score more than a perfect 10 when it comes to player ratings?
If it was ever going to happen, this would be the Test, after one of the most amazing knocks cricket fans will ever see.
Meanwhile, what happens when someone plays for four days and doesn’t bat, bowl or take a catch?
After Australia’s big win over Pakistan, check out LIAM TWOMEY’s player ratings from the second Test.
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DAVID WARNER – 10
Anyone who isn’t dishing out a perfect 10 for the top order master blaster needs to have a good hard look at their ratings system. Warner was nothing short of flawless in this Test and cricket fans will forever talk about the day they saw him send a young Pakistan attack to all parts of the Adelaide Oval. While it would have been nice to see him knock off Brian Lara’s record of 400, his willingness to put the team first only further lifts this innings. The 33-year-old has gone from averaging less than 10 in the Ashes to smacking 489 runs in two digs this summer. Now that’s not bad at all.
JOE BURNS – 2
He only had to get through the first five or six overs and Burns could have been bathing in runs like Warner and Marnus Labuschagne. Instead, he had to spend the next five sessions watching the rest of the Aussie batting order pile on big scores on a flat deck. This wasn’t his game.
MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE – 8.5
Ian Chappell believes Labuschagne can be Australia’s best No.3 since Ricky Ponting. And with innings like he played in this Test, it is hard to disagree. Not content with his 185 in the first Test, Labuschagne dug in during a testing period when he first got to the crease on day one before cashing in – big time! Since returning to the Australian top order during the Ashes, his lowest first innings score is 48. However, three dropped catches, one an absolute sitter off Nathan Lyon, does bring his score down a little here.
STEVE SMITH – 5
It should be a little scary for rivals that Australia no longer needs Smith to score big for the side to post a huge total. While he still contributed a handy 36, plenty was made of the two missed catching chances that fell short when he was standing too far back in the slips. However, he redeemed himself with an absolute screamer in the freezing conditions on night three.
MATTHEW WADE – 5
Australia was hunting quick runs in the second session on day two and Wade delivered. His 38 came off just 40 balls. If he had a little more time in the middle, he could have easily been celebrating a century.
TRAVIS HEAD – 5
The home town boy would have been chomping at the bit to put on a show for his local Test. However, he wasn’t required with the bat and then didn’t bowl. That isn’t exactly the most enjoyable way to spend four days of a Test match but at least he is celebrating a win. While he didn’t get the chance to do anything right, he certainly didn’t do anything wrong. So we’ve landed at 5.
TIM PAINE – 7
A lot was made of his decision to declare, which cost Warner a shot at setting a new world record. But cricket is a team game and Paine’s choice was absolutely the correct one. In fact, his captaincy throughout this Test was terrific. He continued to attack, enforcing the follow-on despite his bowlers already having gone through almost 90 overs in the first innings. And while he missed a simple stumping on day three, the rest of his glove work was impressive.
MITCHELL STARC – 9
Australia planned its entire second day around bowling under lights. That put a certain amount of pressure on the quicks to deliver and Starc led the charge in the first innings. He destroyed the Pakistan middle order and sent a message to New Zealand ahead of its upcoming tour. This version of Starc is bowling with some serious heat, attacking the stumps and doing all sorts of damage.
PAT CUMMINS - 7
Even when things aren’t necessarily going his way, Cummins can still make an impact. He took three important wickets in the first innings, doing the bulk of the hard work with Starc.
JOSH HAZLEWOOD - 7
Tim Paine didn’t use Hazlewood much in the first innings. Was it a ploy to keep one fresh quick up his sleeve in case he decided to enforce the follow-on? If it was, Hazlewood played his part to perfection. He took the new ball late on day three and had an immediate impact, removing Imam-ul-Haq and the ultimate danger man Babar Azam. That is what makes this Australian attack so potent. If Starc or Cummins don’t get you, Hazlewood will.
NATHAN LYON – 8
Nothing was happening on the Adelaide Oval deck at the start of day four. But Lyon didn’t let his skipper down. He toiled hard, keeping the runs down and building the pressure. Then, he pounced. Lyon was clearly the pick of the second innings bowlers, finishing with five wickets. But we shouldn’t be surprised. Only some clumsy work from his teammates stopped him from having just as big of an impact in the first innings.
Originally published as Australia v Pakistan player ratings: Warner’s perfect 10, Starc catches fire
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