After a week and a half of doom and gloom, public scrutiny and intense pressure following the horror show that was the first Test, Australia couldn’t have responded more emphatically in Adelaide.
From the moment Mitchell Starc trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal plumb in front with the first ball of the match, India were on the ropes, as a stunning bowling performance in both innings from Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins respectively bookended the masterclass that was Travis Head’s injury.
The Aussies still have questions to answer, most notably the form of veterans Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith; but can enjoy the winning feeling for at least another week before the third Test at the Gabba; India, meanwhile, will need to do some soul-searching, and hope in particular captain Rohit Sharma is better for the run after a seriously shaky return to Test cricket.
Here are The Roar’s player ratings for the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Australia
Nathan McSweeney – 7
It might only read at 39 runs, but the second-Test opener’s gritty display in the treacherous night session on Day 1 was utterly priceless in preventing another collapse as in the first Test – and setting up an eventually emphatic Australian in.
McSweeney dug in early, saw off the threat of Jasprit Bumrah with the pink ball, and as his innings progressed showed more than just glimpses of the star quality he possesses, most obviously a crunching cut shot that looks set to become his signature.
Would have been disappointed to fall early on Day 2, but managed to stay unbeaten in Australia’s brief second innings – and as a bonus, looks a high-quality gully fielder with an excellent pair of hands who could even move into the slips cordon when Cameron Green returns from injury.
Usman Khawaja – 2.5
With Marnus Labuschagne defying the doubters with a plucky half-century, Khawaja might now be the Aussie in the gun as far as his spot is concerned.
Fell victim to a Bumrah peach in the first night session then remained unbeaten in the 19-run chase and even hit the winning runs, but with just 34 runs for the series to date – and 27 innings since his last Test century – the jungle drums are beginning to beat ominously for the soon-to-be 38-year old, who celebrates his birthday on Day 5 of the third Test.
Adding to the problems, his slips catching is beginning to fray as well, dropping a gettable chance on Day 1.
Marnus Labuschagne – 7.5
Who knows whether it was career-saving, but after 10 days of intense scrutiny over his place in the team, Labuschagne’s crucial first innings 64 will keep the wolf from the door for now.
It wasn’t quite the Labuschagne of old, but with several of his infamous mannerisms returning, he looked far more composed off his pads and keener to score rather than just survive following a tense 18-ball stay on 0.
Blunted the night session successfully along with McSweeney, which allowed Travis Head to arrive at the crease at the easiest time to bat in a day-night Test… and didn’t he reap the benefits.
Steve Smith – 2
Only his excellent catching at second slip saves Smith from a score of 1 after his latest low score.
Being strangled down the leg side to Bumrah early on Day 2 is far less worrying – and a good deal unluckier – than his dismissals in Adelaide, but like Khawaja, his dwindling volume of runs, as well as his age, is beginning to tell a story.
A champion of Australian cricket, he’s next to no chance of being dropped anytime soon… but when Cameron Green is fit again and comes knocking for that No.4 spot in the batting order, Smith could be in the firing line unless he turns things around fast.
Travis Head – 9.5
Many others had key roles, but the true match-winner in Adelaide was obviously the hometown hero.
Once again India’s chief tormentor, Head did just as he did in last year’s World Test Championship and World Cup finals and dispatched the touring bowlers to all parts of the field, riding his luck and not relenting to race to a spectacular 140 off just 141 balls.
The most dangerous batter in world cricket at the moment – and after his run-in with Mohammed Siraj for his dismissal, taking the catch to remove his rival and end India’s second innings was just the icing on the cake.
Travis Head celebrates after scoring a century. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Mitchell Marsh – 2.5
Had the weirdest moment of the Test when he walked after edging Ravichandran Ashwin behind on 9… only for Ultra-Edge to show no detectable nick.
To give him the benefit of the doubt, his claim early on Day 3 that ‘Snicko isn’t working’ might suggest technology rather than his own error was to blame for the bizarre moment; but it’s little comfort given he’d have been spared if he’d reviewed.
Bowled just four overs, all on Day 1, and despite Australia’s confidence over his fitness after pulling up lame following the Perth Test, definitely looked short of a gallop.
Alex Carey (wk) – 4
Got the chance to be out in the middle with Head when his fellow South Australian reached three figures – but other than that, had little else to do with the bat, and contributed just 15 to their 74-run partnership.
Kept tidily all Test, especially on the second night with three catches under the lights, with his only blemish dropping Siraj early on Day 3.
Pat Cummins (c) – 8.5
Whether with the ball or as captain, Cummins was back to something very close to his best in Adelaide after a tough first Test.
Played second fiddle to Starc on Day 1, though a vicious riser to remove Rishabh Pant might have been the ball of the innings – then took centre stage in the second innings, wiping out KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma – the latter with the best ball of the series so far – and cleaning up the lower order to finish with a five-wicket haul, his first at the Adelaide Oval.
Marshalled his troops excellently all match, particularly on the second evening – though it’s far easier to be a captain when your batters actually put some runs on the board!
Mitchell Starc – 9
The greatest pink-ball bowler ever, Starc’s Day 1 heroics were just as crucial as Head’s batting blitz to Australia’s victory.
Trapped Jaiswal plumb in front with the first ball of the Test and went on from there, adding Rahul and Kohli’s scalps just before the tea break to give Australia an ascendancy they wouldn’t relinquish, before he cleaved through the tail to finish with career-best figures of 6-48.
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Not as dominant in the second innings, but the wickets he took were major scalps – he ended Shubman Gill’s cameo with a brilliant inswinging yorker, while Pant edging him to slip in the first over of Day 3 ended India’s last hope of a comeback.
Nathan Lyon – 3
It’ not Lyon’s fault the conditions in Adelaide and India’s brief two innings restricted him to just one over for the match – the first time he’s even come close to that since not bowling at all in Hobart in the fifth Ashes Test of 2021/22.
Fielded well as usual, and made four runs with the bat – but you’d expect he’ll be needed far, far more for the remaining three Tests for the series.
Scott Boland – 8.5
The Victorian veteran’s legend only continues to build with another outstanding display on Australian shores.
Given a chance at a first Test in over a year by Josh Hazlewood’s absence, a first-ball wicket off a no ball in the first innings was Boland’s only blemish, and he’d respond superbly with five wickets for the match, four of them in the top order.
The highlights were numerous, including nicking Jaiswal off with his first ball of the second innings (and with a legal delivery), then doing the same to Kohli mere minutes later.
Will probably make way for Hazlewood for the third Test – but he’d have to be front of mind for the fourth Test at his home MCG, where his first-class record is outstanding.
India
Yashasvi Jaiswal – 3
Chocolates to boiled lollies for the Indian young gun – from the moment he was trapped plumb LBW to Mitchell Starc off the first ball of the Test and his second duck of the series, Jaiswal was in for a rough ride.
Showed signs of his dazzling best in the second innings under lights, but fell to another first ball, this time Scott Boland’s, having contributed only 24.
KL Rahul – 3.5
Given a big show of faith by retaining his spot at the top of the order despite Rohit Sharma’s return, and his partnership with Shubman Gill on Day 1 was clearly India’s best period of the Test.
His dismissal for 37 started the rot, with India going from 1/69 to 180 all out, before strangling Cummins down the leg side in the second innings for a wasted dismissal in the tricky night session.
Shubman Gill – 5
India’s best specialist bat of the Test, Gill might have not pushed on from strong starts in either innings, but showed enough to suggest he is well and truly over the thumb injury that sidelined him in Perth and have him loom as a danger man for the rest of the series.
Batted excellently with Rahul for a 69-run stand on the opening day, and was motoring along with 28 off his first 29 balls on the second night before a Starc cracker made mincemeat of his stumps.
Virat Kohli – 3
Back to earth with a thud for the champion after his Perth century, all the issues that have plagued Kohli’s batting over the last five years re-emerged in Adelaide.
Twice caught nicking behind the wicket outside off stump, a tally of 18 runs from two Tests is a far cry from the three centuries he has managed at the Adelaide Oval in years gone by.
Whatever the rest of his series holds in store, he’s now clearly no longer the biggest scalp for any opposition team.
Rishabh Pant (wk) – 5
Who comes in at 3/66, with their team facing a hefty first-innings deficit, in the most difficult period to bat against the pink ball, and dances down the track first ball to launch over cover for four?
Rishabh Pant, that’s who – and it wasn’t even the most audacious shot he played in a ludicrous innings late on Day 2, reverse-ramping Boland over the cordon and regularly charging the Aussie quick in an attempt to knock him off his length.
However, scores of 21 and 28, despite the theatrics, are just too low for anything more than a passing grade.
While he was regularly stitched up by the pink ball in conceding 13 byes, many of them swinging down leg from the Indian quicks, he was far from flawless, dropping a catch off McSweeney on the first evening that very nearly dealt Rohit Sharma a wrist injury.
Rohit Sharma (c) – 1
A genuine stinker for the returning Indian skipper.
Managed just nine runs across two innings on Test return, and looked utterly at sea against the pink ball and Australia’s fired-up quicks on the second evening before at last being skittled by an absolute peach from Cummins.
Did little wrong as captain, but was powerless to stop a rampaging Head – as indeed he was during last year’s World Cup and World Test Championship finals.
Nitish Kumar Reddy – 7.5
Can you be your team’s best player for a match and still be dropped?
Promoted to No.7 for his second Test, Reddy was easily India’s best batter in both innings, taking the fight to Australia with a pair of whirlwind cameos that briefly held their dominance at bay.
Hit all four of India’s sixes for the Test to suggest he’s a great asset at No.7; oddly, though, he was only trusted with six of India’s 87 overs, which included the wicket of Labuschagne. Does that suggest he’s the fourth quick picked, and thus could be omitted for Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja in better spin-bowling conditions?
Ravichandran Ashwin – 3.5
Has been a handful for Australia on recent tours down under, but on return after being dropped for the first Test, couldn’t do much more than tie an end down as Head ran amok.
With an economy rate of under 3 in the first innings, the veteran was as tight as ever, but aside from a contentious Mitchell Marsh edge behind that only Marsh and the umpire seemed to think he’d nick, failed to create chances.
While his frequently handy lower-order batting scraped out a valuable 22 in the first innings, a tame glove behind off a Cummins bouncer in the second was poor, and it’s hard to argue that Washington Sundar is by now the superior batter of India’s spin options.
Harshit Rana – 0.5
Copped a pair and the full brunt of Head’s onslaught on Day 2 – a truly rough outing for the second-Test quick.
Starc was too good for him with a bouncer-yorker combo in the first innings, but Rana’s true nadir was in being hit to all corners of the Adelaide Oval by Head, conceding 86 runs from 16 wicketless overs at nearly a run a ball.
Jasprit Bumrah – 7
Lionhearted yet again, Perth’s player of the match just wasn’t able to exert the same utter control over Australia’s batters as he did in the first Test.
Still claimed four wickets and proved impossible to get away for anyone bar Head, and with all three of India’s first three wickets in the first innings, there was a touch of ‘Bumrah or bust’ about the tourists’ attack.
A groin injury briefly hobbled him on Day 2, and was then kept to just one over in Australia’s small run chase – with under a week to go until the third Test begins, India will be praying it’s not serious.
Mohammed Siraj – 4
Inflated his figures with four late wickets, three in the tail, in Australia’s first innings, while also earning villain status for the rest of the summer for his send-off of Head.
Was crucial four years ago in his first three Tests as India won the series, but this time around, looks a class below Bumrah, and his lack of menace on the first evening as McSweeney and Labuschagne dug in was concerning.