World Test Championship final player ratings: Travis Head perfect, Usman Khawaja flops

While Pat Cummins may not have played his best game against India, he vindicated why he was the right choice to lead Australia. Check out our player ratings and have your say on every Aussie.

Australia are the Test champions of the world after a resounding win at The Oval, becoming the second side to claim the award after New Zealand were crowned the inaugural winners.

But who starred and who should be looking to improve their form quickly before the Ashes swing into full gear?

DAVID WARNER 5.5

Made an impressive and commanding 43 in the first innings and was unlucky to be caught down the leg side. That knock shored up his spot for the start of the Ashes but nicking off for one in the second innings was a reminder that things are still precarious for the opener in his planned farewell tour. He also dropped a tough catch on day three at first slip.

USMAN KHAWAJA 1

The veteran had been Australia’s premier batsman over the two years of the World Test championship cycle but twin failures at the top of the order at The Oval brought back memories of previous horror trips to the UK. Khawaja flagged low expectations for this series but the Aussies need more from him. A drop off the bowling Scott Boland early on day three would have been a remarkable effort had he taken it.

MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE 5.5

Australia’s first drop got a couple of starts but couldn’t go on with it in either innings. It continued a trend for the world’s No. 1 ranked Test batter, who despite only getting out for less than 10 once in more than a year of Test cricket has gone eight straight Tests without a ton.

STEVE SMITH 9.5

Smith continued his outstanding his run at The Oval, and in England more generally, with a grinding first innings century. A rare lapse of judgment led to him skying one in the second innings but England accepts it will need to think outside the square to stop Smith dominating another Ashes series.

TRAVIS HEAD 10

The South Australian played the game-altering innings, scoring 163 at almost a run a ball. It was close enough to chanceless too, with India giving him too much space to play his array of shots. The Indians played it smarter with their field placings in the second dig, something England could heed to stop Australia’s most dynamic batsman.

CAMERON GREEN 7

Had only a middling Test with the bat, digging in for a gritty 21 in the second innings after a first innings failure. But his all-round ability came to the fore, taking important first innings wickets and taking a couple of blinders at gully (albeit one contentious) after spilling a regulation chance.

ALEX CAREY 8

The gloveman played two handy innings to help take the game out of India’s reach. Head is Australia’s counter-attack king but his fellow South Australian shapes as another danger man leading into the Ashes. His keeping was solid albeit Warner’s first innings drop arguably should have been taken by the wicketkeeper.

MITCHELL STARC 7

A real mixed bag game from the left-armer, who was expensive and wayward at times, demoted to first-change bowler in the second innings but still took several wickets including that of Kohli with a first innings beauty. The Aussies No. 8 also made useful second innings runs.

PAT CUMMINS 7

The captain wasn’t quite at his best, bowling a touch loosely at times, but he still made important breakthroughs in the first innings. His appointment as captain has been vindicated.

NATHAN LYON 9

The veteran off-spinner played a key role in the win. With almost unerring accuracy, Lyon took 5-60 across the match to make a mockery of India’s decision not to pick Ravichandran Ashwin and put behind past day five failures.

SCOTT BOLAND 9.5:

The pick of the Australian quicks, the Victorian backed up pre-tour expectations that he would be a handful in these conditions. Boland took critical wickets in both innings and looks a first Test lock