Another Test summer is in the books with Australia’s three-match series against South Africa ending in a draw at the SCG.
Sydney rain spoiled Australia’s push for the perfect 5-0 summer, although, to even have a sniff of a win on the final day was an impressive feat from the hosts.
Instead, the South Africa series ended 2-0 for Australia, which dominated the Proteas from the first ball at the Gabba three weeks ago.
Here’s how every Australian fared in the series.
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As always, it’s important to note that scores are based on impact across the entire series.
This means that those who didn’t play all three matches are likely to score less, while performances when the series was still live are given more weight than those in the Sydney dead rubber.
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DAVID WARNER — 7.5
213 runs at 53.25, HS 200
On paper, the opener missed out three times against South Africa, going past 10 runs just once. But that one time was truly special. Warner’s 200 in the Boxing Day Test is surely the finest of his 25 centuries when you consider the gruelling heat, the quality of the Proteas attack, and the pressure the veteran was under at the time. In a summer that featured two other Australian double centuries, and a 195*, Warner’s 200 stands above all others as the performance of the Test season. He earns big marks for that player-of-the-match performance in Melbourne when it was still a live series. On the weight of three Tests, however, Warner was poor at the Gabba, and a little reckless in Sydney.
‘Cooked’ Warner hits 200* then retires! | 01:54
USMAN KHAWAJA — 7
209 runs at 69.66, HS 195*
He left it late, but Khawaja made sure the entire summer didn’t pass without him notching a big score. The left-hander was the last player in Australia’s top seven (excluding Cameron Green) to ton up this summer. When he did, it was in yet another SCG masterclass that took his average at the ground to an incredible 130.83. No player in Test history has a better average at an Australian venue. Without the buckets of Sydney rain, his 195* likely would have set up a series whitewash. When the series was still live, however, Khawaja struggled to make a start, falling cheaply for 11, 2 and 1. As such, he scores just slightly less than Warner.
MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE — 4
109 runs at 36.33, HS 79
Like Khawaja, Labuschagne didn’t trouble the scorers much until the final Test, when he made 79. The Australian No.3 normally rides his luck, although his cricket karma somewhat levelled out in this series. He was arguably torched by Warner at the MCG where he was run-out, and, in Sydney, he was on-course for a century before he nicked off to an Anrich Nortje peach. The wicket came when it was quite dark — bad light was called immediately after. A fail mark might feel harsh but, overall, it was a fairly quiet series for the No.3 after his utter domination of the West Indies.
STEVE SMITH — 7.5
231 runs at 57.75, HS 104
What a summer it’s been for Smith. The No.4 has been one of Australia’s most consistent performers, averaging 81.00 across five Tests. Most of the damage was done against the West Indies, but Smith was solid against the Proteas, too. He made a start at the Gabba with his 36, and fell for 6 when Australia was chasing just 34 on a wild wicket. He looked in control at the MCG in reaching 85, before his dismissal almost came out of nowhere. After trending in the right direction, he scored 104 at the SCG in a dominant display. Again, his demise came out of the blue after a brainfade. As such, it was a strong series from Smith, but he will know it certainly could have been better. He was still Australia’s topscorer for the series, and he proved to be a safe pair of hands throughout.
Smith celebrates ton with… chainsaw? | 00:59
TRAVIS HEAD — 8
213 runs at 53.25, HS 92
Yet another outstanding performance in home conditions from the South Australian. Head once again went after the bowlers and enjoyed plenty of success, making three half-centuries in four innings. Remarkably, his 213 runs came at the immense strike rate of 100.94. For context, Warner’s strike rate of 76.61 was the second-highest of Australia’s batters. Khawaja, Labuschagne, Smith and Green all had strike rates under 55.00. Forgotten in big scores for Warner and Khawaja is Head’s 92 in Brisbane when only one other player from either side could pass 50. Without it, that Test might’ve been a different story for Australia, who lost 4-35 in a small chase. Might’ve done better with his dismissals in Melbourne and Sydney, but his high risk game will naturally prove costly from time to time. Arguably Australia’s best batter of the series given his sheer impact — who needs Bazball when you have Travball?
CAMERON GREEN — 6
69 runs at 69.00, HS 51*
Five wickets at 9.40, BBI 5-27
Australia’s gun all-rounder started off the series without making much of an impact. He bowled only three overs in Brisbane, with Australia’s other quicks running riot, and faced just 21 balls. In Melbourne, Green would have been Australia’s best if not for Warner’s double-century. Green ripped through the Proteas in the first innings, claiming 5-27 for his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. It was the kind of bowling performance many knew Green would eventually deliver for Australia. A Nortje short ball broke Green’s finger during the Test, and yet, he still faced 177 balls in Australia’s second innings, finishing unbeaten on 51. Green missed the final Test due to his finger injury, which impacts his overall series rating.
SUPER SPELL! Green bags first Test 5-fa | 01:20
ALEX CAREY — 7
133 runs at 133.00, HS 111
If there was any lingering doubt before, then Carey vanquished it during this series. He’s going to be Australia’s wicketkeeper for a long time yet. The 31-year-old’s batting continues to go from strength to strength, with his 111 in Melbourne rock solid proof he’s an all formats player. He only had the chance to bat twice in the three-Test series, which impacts his rating somewhat, but he didn’t put a foot wrong when he did. Similar could be said about his wicketkeeping. There might’ve been some questions around his glovework last summer, but he was tidy against South Africa for the most part. He also proved to be a calm voice around review conferences with Pat Cummins and the bowler.
Unsung Carey scores sublime maiden ton | 02:29
PAT CUMMINS — 8
12 wickets at 16.91, BBI 5-42
An outstanding captaincy performance from Cummins, who was also arguably Australia’s best bowler across the series. The fast bowler blitzed the Proteas in Brisbane, particularly in the second innings when he took 5-42. He found it harder to take wickets at the MCG, although he was still a handful for the visitors — Cummins conceded just 1.25 runs an over from 16 second innings sets. Cummins’ best was saved for last. In Sydney, with Australia needing a miracle to force a result, Cummins delivered a savage spell late on day four that opened the door. A win ultimately didn’t come to pass, but not through a lack of trying from Cummins. In terms of captaincy, he rolled the dice with bowl-first decisions in the first two Tests that paid off. He rotated through his bowlers well, particularly in Sydney to take 11 wickets across just five sessions.
Cummins torments RSA with special spell | 04:58
MITCHELL STARC — 6
Eight wickets at 21.00, BBI 3-41
As he so often does, the left-armer set the tone for the series with the early wicket of Dean Elgar at the Gabba, and that of Temba Bavuma after he was set. Starc ended that first innings with 3-41, and backed that up with 2-26 in the second innings. Starc proved influential again in accelerating the Proteas’ collapse at the MCG by removing Bavuma again and Khaya Zondo in quick succession. He then suffered a nasty finger injury in the field, but still returned to bowl in the second innings with the help of some painkillers. It was a warrior-like effort for Starc to still get the ball swinging without losing much speed. He only took 1-62 although it arguably didn’t tell the full story of how well he bowled early in the spell. Starc missed the final Test through that finger injury.
NATHAN LYON — 7
10 wickets at 26.20, BBI 3-14
Lyon started the series with a bang, taking just 3-14 inside eight overs as the Proteas crumbled at the Gabba. It was then over to the seamers for the second innings, while in Melbourne, Lyon somewhat flew under the radar despite knocking over another four wickets. He would have been disappointed that the Sydney Test was so heavily impacted by wet weather. He might’ve made a bigger impact had the pitch worn out more by days four and five. Lyon mustered a couple wickets in the first innings, albeit from a whopping 40 overs, and then struggled to make inroads in the second innings. It must be said he was awfully unlucky; three LBW decisions went against him on umpire’s call, while a catch was controversially overturned off his bowling.
SCOTT BOLAND — 6
Seven wickets at 17.85, BBI 2-14
Well, it wasn’t six wickets at the MCG, but the 33-year-old keeps up his record of performing at every chance he gets at Test level. Boland kept the ball on a string in Brisbane and Melbourne, chipping away at the Proteas with a total of seven wickets that were evenly spread across the four innings. In classic Boland fashion, he took two wickets in one over in Brisbane as South Africa was rolled for 152, setting the tone for the series. He never truly exploded but Boland certainly did his part. He missed out in Sydney for the return of Josh Hazlewood and second-spinner Ashton Agar.
JOSH HAZLEWOOD — 3.5
Five wickets at 11.40, BBI 4-48
Missed the first two Tests with a side strain before replacing Scott Boland at the SCG. With his first spell on day four, he was outstanding. It was a timely reminder of just how good he is after Boland had gained some momentum in the selection discussion. His two wickets late in the day kept hopes of an Australian miracle alive — at least overnight — before he added another two first innings wickets the next day. Claimed 1-9 in the second innings with the spinners bowling the majority of overs. A good score for having only played in the dead rubber.
ASHTON AGAR — 1
No wickets, BBI 0-28
A disappointing performance from Agar in Sydney for what was his first Test in more than five years. He never really found his rhythm, and was guilty of bowling in a conservative fashion that didn’t ask enough questions of the South Africans. He failed to take a wicket from his 22 overs.
MATT RENSHAW — N/A
5 runs unbeaten, HS 5*
Renshaw was called up for his first Test in nearly five years, and then tested positive for Covid. He was cleared to play but between the Sydney rain and the dominance of the top-order, he got to only face 11 balls. He’s spared a rating.
