Full player ratings for Australia and England following Boxing Day stalemate

WITH the fourth Test in the books find out who starred, who struggled and who landed a perfect 10. Full player ratings for both England and Australia following the stalemate in Melbourne.

WITH the fourth Test in the books find out who starred, who struggled and who landed a perfect 10.

We’ve got full player ratings for both England and Australia following the stalemate in Melbourne.

AUSTRALIA

Cameron Bancroft 4

Has he done enough? Was steady and patient and spent time at the crease but struggled to rack up the numbers he so sorely needs to ensure he is on the plane to South Africa. Will be looking for a big one in Sydney.

Bancroft may need a big score in Sydney to secure his place in the team.

David Warner 8

Slow and steady not his usual style but managed to show he has another string to his bow with a second innings 86 that couldn’t have been more different to his blistering Boxing Day century. Was patient and measured, can score all around the ground and looks comfortable while he’s at it, but cost himself with a second innings brain fade.

Usman Khawaja 3

Just wasn’t his Test. Struggled to have an impact, managing a combined 28 runs from his two periods at the crease. Hung onto that catch, which is worthy of plaudits. Doesn’t believe he’s out of form, labelling suggestions as such as “bizarre”, but certainly needs to have an impact in the final Test.

Steve Smith 9

What a way to finish what was already a simply sublime 2017. He can always be trusted with bat in hand and was as patient as an ox to keep Australia in the game on its final day to secure the draw, yet another Test century and his name in more record books.

They don’t come much better than Steve Smith.

Shaun Marsh 6

Did a great impression of a bobcat in the first innings, digging in beautifully alongside his skipper to produce a solid 61 runs off 148 balls. Caught by some Jonny Bairstow brilliance in his second effort, and probably won’t be on speaking terms with Alastair Cook after hitting him squarely where it hurts on his way to just four runs.

Mitch Marsh 6

Looked as shaky as a jelly starting his second stint at the crease and made nervous work of getting off the mark. It wasn’t pretty, but an ability to block, jag a single and then block some more for 29 off 166 balls provided an important partner for Steve Smith to do exactly what the team needed on the afternoon of the final day. Never quite hit the mark with the ball, but wasn’t helped by the pitch.

Tim Paine 6

Those hands are as safe as houses. He took three catches in England’s first innings — sometimes keeping at the stumps in the face of Australia’s pace attack — having delivered a serviceable 24 runs in Australia’s first crack with the bat. And all through the grief of losing his father-in-law on Christmas Eve. All class.

Pat Cummins 6

That stomach bug had him both off-colour and off his game on the second day in particular, but taking four wickets would no doubt have boosted his spirits. Selectors have been urged by former Australian opener Ed Cowan to rest the quick in Sydney, and he’s probably earned it.

Cummins battled illness for much of the Test.

Nathan Lyon 6

Wasn’t helped by the pitch but did his bit, including in the field where he is incredibly valuable, and continued to have his way with English all-rounder Moeen Ali on his way to another three Test wickets. Now just five wickets away from sixth place in the all-time standings. Just don’t call him the caught-and-bowled specialist — even though he is.

Josh Hazlewood 7

Spearhead of the Australian attack in the absence of Mitchell Starc and handled the role with aplomb. Some more movement in the pitch would have helped him — as it would have for all with ball in hand — but his line and length was en pointe to snag two of his three wickets LBW. Valuable asset.

Jackson Bird 3.5

He was never going to replace Mitchell Starc in his first Test in a year, but a wicket would have been nice for Bird who was forced to cop it heavily from the Barmy Army on Day 3. He took it gracefully, and continued to battle in his quest to find pace. “Good spells … a bit wayward at times” was coach Darren Lehmann’s summation.

-Lauren Wood

ENGLAND

Alastair Cook (10)

Cook was just about cooked entering this Test, his spot in the team on shaky ground after 83 runs from six innings this series. Then he pulled out 244no, becoming the first Englishman to carry his bat since 1997. Some response.

It was a return to form for Cook.

Mark Stoneman (2)

Really had no impact on this Test, making just 15 runs before he was dismissed by Australia’s caught and bowled specialist Nathan Lyon. It backed up a poor second innings in Perth where Stoneman was caught behind for 3.

James Vince (3)

Made a promising start at the crease but did not go on with it after he was given lbw on 17 off a Josh Hazlewood zinger. Replays showed Vince got a slight inside edge, but he didn’t know it so didn’t review and walked.

Joe Root (7)

The skipper looked set after bringing up his half-century but threw away his wicket on 61 with a silly pull shot marking the third time this series he has failed to convert a half-century into a century. Surprised with the ball, taking the scalp of David Warner.

Dawid Malan (4)

Like Vince, his innings should have gone longer. Accepted an lbw call on 14 from a Hazlewood delivery despite getting a thick inside edge. Bowled well but couldn’t snag a wicket.

ANOTHER CHANCE: Agar in for SCG

SNIPPETS: Khawaja says he’s not out of form

Jonny Bairstow (6)

Got a start with 22 of 39 balls but his attempt to cut the Nathan Lyon delivery that brought his undoing was not too pretty. Didn’t do too much wrong with the gloves though.

Moeen Ali (2)

On Struggle Street. Made 20 runs which was more than a few top-order teammates but add that to his previous three innings and you still only get 33. Didn’t impact with the ball, either, being the most expensive England bowler during Australia’s first innings.

Chris Woakes (7)

Solid all-round performance. Was England’s fourth highest scorer with the bat with 26 and struck with the new ball in both of Australia’s innings, taking out opener Cameron Bancroft twice.

Tom Curran (6)

It’s no easy task making your debut on cricket’s biggest stage — a Boxing Day Ashes Test — but Curran performed well. Only made four runs with the bat but bowled well and claimed the big wicket of Steve Smith in Australia’s first innings.

Broad produced his best match of the series.

Stuart Broad (9)

Like a few teammates, found himself seriously under the pump after a lacklustre series but responded in style. Took 4-51 with the ball in Australia’s first dig and backed it up with just his second half-century in four years at the crease.

James Anderson (7)

Added to his duck farm with the bat, which might have cost Cook a few more runs. His bowling was solid on a pitch that was not doing much though with three wickets and an economy of 2.10 when the game was on in Australia’s first innings.

— Chris Cavanagh

Originally published as Full player ratings for Australia and England following Boxing Day stalemate