Player ratings: breakout stars and the biggest flop

In truth, the series was much closer and the visitors could have caused a massive upset, especially if they had received favourable weather during the Test, and the opening T20 match on the Gold Coast.

But having not played a Test for the past two years, the series has been incredibly valuable for Australia, who were pushed to their limits ahead of the Ashes series against England early in the new year.

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While they were without opening bowler Megan Schutt, the injured Jess Jonassen and opening bat Rachael Haynes, who was injured during this series, the Australians took the opportunity to blood several young players in a move that could pay off early next year.

In testing the likes of Stella Campbell, Annabel Sutherland, Darcie Brown and Georgia Wareham in the furnace of Test cricket, the Aussies have given the youngsters the best possible preparation for cricket’s ultimate test.

We rate the performances of the squad of 18 across this series against India in the context of the upcoming Ashes series.

Players will be given the go ahead to be part of the series against England if they receive that if they get the green light, a red light means their path will be blocked, while amber means their fate is in the hands of selectors.

Meg Lanning

Under enormous pressure this series from an outstanding Indian side. Scored 143 runs from seven innings, fewer then she would normally compile – and really only dominated in the opening ODI where she scored a half century. Some of her captaincy decisions, field settings and bowling choices were questioned, especially in the Test match but getting her first test in two years under her belt will be an enormous help leading into the Ashes.

Rating: 6

Green light – comes in as Australia’s No. 1 pick, an automatic selection.

Rachael Haynes

Injury curtailed Haynes’ place in the series, although she was never going to take place in the T20s, given the impending birth of her first child. Scored 93no in the opening ODI to show she remains one of the most dominant players in world cricket.

Rating: 7

Green light – While she will have been disappointed to have missed the Test with injury, she will stroll back into Australia’s team for the Ashes.

Darcie Brown

The young star won player of match honors in the opening ODI with her 4-33, a performance that ultimately led to her winning a Test debut. Will have lent plenty from that match, after being punished by the tourists for bowling short. Didn’t play the T20s.

Rating: 6.5

Amber light – Will be on the cusp with Megan Schutt to come back into the Australian team and Tayla Vlaeminck having returned from injury.

Maitlan Brown

The fast bowler did not play any of the seven matches in the series but will benefit from her time with the squad.

Rating: n/a

Red light – with Schutt coming back and the progress of the other quicks, is unlikely to make the Ashes squad.

Stella Campbell

Played her way into a Test debut with a strong showing in the final ODI and took 2-47 in the first innings of the Test with some of the sharpest bowling seen in the match, using her height to advantage. Did not play the T20s.

Rating: 6.5

Green light – While Australia is well served with quicks, Campbell deserves a chance.

Nicola Carey

Pushed for test selection and was probably unlucky to be named 12th woman, just missing a Test debut. Played well in the ODIs and T20 series in particular, picking up four wickets.

Rating: 6.5

Amber light – Good bowler at the death and is likely to make the Ashes squad, especially with a World Cup on the horizon.

Hannah Darlington

The medium pacer made her Australian debut and featured in four of the matches throughout the tour, picking up two wickets in the opening ODI. Series was a good testing ground for her the 19-year-old.

Rating: 5.5

Red light – Much will depend on her WBBL series but is likely to struggle to make the Ashes series given the depth of bowlers.

Ash Gardner

Picked up seven wickets and made 132 runs across the series. Performances in the Test in particular were impressive, and while she only picked up two wickets – one in each innings – managed hold down an end when India threatened to score at pace in the first innings. Scored a maiden Test 50.

Rating: 7.5

Green light – Breakout series for Gardner who will be key to the Ashes battle.

Alyssa Healy

Remains one of Australia’s top players, first Choice keeper and is among the best players in the world. But had quiet series by her own high standards. Her 77 at a run-a-ball in the first ODI set the tone for a strong series but her performances in the T20s and the Test were slightly below par with the bat, although she got the ball of the series from Shikha Pandey.

Rating: 7

Green light – easy call.

Tahlia McGrath

Finished as the series MVP – a call that was perhaps a tad harsh on outstanding Indian batter Smriti Mandhana – but undoubtedly the best of the Australians, picking up four wickets and 235 runs across the series. Solid if not outstanding in the Test, her efforts in the ODIs, and T20s were stellar and led directly to Australia’s series win.

Rating: 9

Green light – After a period in the wilderness, McGrath managed the most difficult of things – breaking back into the Australian team – and is unlikely to leave again anytime soon.

Sophie Molineux

Another who performed particularly well across the series picking up 11 wickets – easily the best of the bowlers. Was dangerous in the Test, taking three wickets and while Jess Jonassen will return, she gives selectors plenty of food for thought, with some believing the Aussies can afford to take two left-arm spinners into the Ashes series.

Rating: 8

Amber light – In form but with Jess Jonassen to return for the Ashes, can the Aussies double up?

Beth Mooney

But for a sub-par performance in the Test, could have finished as the player of the series. Made 287 runs in just six innings, including a 125no in the second ODI that saved Australia’s bacon and possibly handed them the series. Her T20 performances were also pivotal but a return of just 15 runs from two innings in the test match and some uncharacteristic errors in the field mark her down slightly.

Rating: 8

Green light – One of Australia’s most important players.

Ellyse Perry

Perry became Australia’s most capped international in the second T20, passing Alex Blackwell’s mark and now has 253 matches to her credit. Remains stellar with the bat in the Test arena, having made a steady 68no and 1no to notch more than 1000 balls at that level for just one dismissal. But plenty of question marks remain around her bowling after she failed to pick up a wicket in any of the six short-format games and did not bowl at all in the final T20.

Rating: 6

Green light – Needs to find form with the ball but remains key to an Ashes victory.

Georgia Redmayne

Did not play throughout the series, despite going in as one of the only specialist batters in the squad. With Rachael Haynes out injured, Redmayne’s omission seemed a pity, although with Healy, Mooney, Lanning and Perry at the top of the order and Haynes to return, Australia’s line-up is a tough one to crack.

Rating: n/a

Red light – Given the fact she did not get a chance against India, difficult to see her making the Ashes squad.

Molly Strano

Did not play any of the seven matches in the Indian series, although was 12th woman on five separate occasions.

Rating: n/a

Red light – Difficult to see the off-spinner getting a chance after she was overlooked for the T20s.

Annabel Sutherland

Finished with four wickets across the series and made her Test debut. Went wicketless in that game and made just three runs in Australia’s first innings, however, her performance was much better than the stats suggest. Most in the team regarded Sutherland as the best bowler at stages and she troubled the visitors when she found her line and length. Like Perry, who also started her career as a bowler, and has evolved into a batting all rounder, Sutherland is regarded as a player who can fill a batting void.

Rating: 6.5

Green light – No question she’ll be included in the squad but will want a strong WBBL series to push her batting credentials.

Tayla Vlaeminck

The quick took longer than expected to recover from a stress reaction in her lower leg, missing the Test match as well as the ODIs and took just two wickets in three T20 performances. But she’s terrorised her teammates in the nets throughout the India series and having been recorded at more than 140km/h, is among Australia’s fastest bowlers. If fully fit and bowling in tandem with Schutt, will be a key part of Australia’s attack for the Ashes.

Rating: 6

Green light – Selectors and team officials right to wrap her in cotton wool for the India series ahead of a busy summer.

Georgia Wareham

The leg spinner won a Test debut and snared her maiden Test wicked in the second innings having few chances early in the match. An attacking bowler, Wareham is a proven wicket-taker and finished with four scalps for the series.

Rating: 6.5

Green light – Will be a valuable addition in limited over format, at least, if not the Tests as well.

MOONEY, MCGRATH PUNISH INDIA

By Carly Adno

Star all rounder Ellyse Perry was left out of Australia’s bowling attack as Beth Mooney’s superb half-century set up the win against India.

Australia wrapped up the third and final T20 on the Gold Coast by 14 runs, ensuring the home side ended the multi-format series on a high.

The ever reliable Mooney kept Australia’s innings ticking over as the home side were sent into bat. She took just 36 balls to bring up her 11th T20 half century and, for the third time this series, partnered with Tahlia McGrath for a match-turning knock.

While Mooney was eventually dismissed for 61 after she was well caught by Harmanpreet Kaur, McGrath stuck around until the end for a second consecutive match with a vital, unbeaten knock of 44 to take the Aussie’s to 5/149.

As memorable as the series has been for both Mooney and McGrath, it hasn’t been quite the case for veteran duo Alyssa Healy and Perry. Both fell cheaply early on, Healy with an outside edge behind to Richa Gosh for four runs and Perry caught by Pooja Vastrakar for eight. Aside from her unbeaten 68 in the first innings of the lone Test match, Perry struggled to find her usual rhythm. The 30-year-old also managed to pick up just four wickets across the multi-format series, but it was still curious that the star all rounder wasn’t thrown the ball in the final T20.

In reply India lost the dangerous Shafali Verma early on, but together Smriti Mandhana (52) and Jemimah Rodrigues (23) made a successful run chase look possible.

In the end the visitor’s had wickets in hand, but just couldn’t keep on top of the required run rate.

BIZARRE DISMISSAL

Meg Lanning was in great touch before she was undone by a bizarre dismissal of her own making. The Australian captain stepped back into her crease to cut the ball for a boundary, but in so doing managed to dislodge the bails with her bat. It means she is the first Australian to be dismissed hit wicket in T20 internationals.

LEAN SPELL

While Alyssa Healy hasn’t faltered behind the stumps, the veteran has an underwhelming recent T20 record with the bat. The 31-year-old has made consecutive scores of four runs and, in her last eight T20 innings, has totalled just 69 runs.

INDIANS IN WBBL

It’s been a thrilling series between Australia and India and the competition will continue, with eight Indian players set to head over to Tasmania this week to compete in the WBBL. While their presence is bound to attract a bigger audience, it will also strengthen calls for the creation of a women’s IPL.

EARLIER: How next generation handled heat against India

As the Australia-India series comes to its thrilling conclusion on Sunday night, regardless of the result the green and gold will come out with a wealth of information about its next generation of cricketers.

This series has seen Australia pick multiple debutants; somewhat unusual given the stability of the playing list over the past three years.

But injuries to key senior players – vice-captain Rachael Haynes out with a hamstring strain, opening bowler Megan Schutt opting to sit out the series after the birth of her first child, and the world’s top-ranked one-day bowler Jess Jonassen sidelined with a leg injury – has left the side looking for new options.

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Four debutants were handed their Baggy Green for the Test Match: all-rounder Annabel Sutherland and bowlers Georgia Wareham, Darcie Brown and Stella Campbell.

All-rounder Tahlia McGrath earned her T20 international debut, while teenager Hannah Darlington played her first game for the green and gold in the opening ODI of the series last month.

The team’s veteran wicketkeeper, Alyssa Healy, said with a packed cricket summer ahead – that included the Ashes from late January which would roll into the ODI World Cup in New Zealand in March and April and then the Commonwealth Games in July, getting experience into the younger players was important.

“We’ve had a really solid, similar group for a really long period of time and finding the right time to, I guess, blood the new players has been really challenging,” she said.

“So this is one of those exciting opportunities to be able to do that and I know the younger players are chomping at the bit.”

Healy said despite the fact the Australia A side hadn’t been able to play cricket because of the Covid chaos inflicted upon international sport, what was going on at the domestic level was creating a strong line-up of cricketers waiting to take the Aussie reins.

“Whilst I believe there should be more opportunity for them to play games, they’re getting exposed to high level cricket through the WBBL quite regularly,” she said.

“So I don’t feel like they feel it’s a huge step up for them to come into the Aussie program.

“While this opportunity is a forced one (through injury), I think it’s the right time … and against a side like India, who we’ve thrown a similar attack to over the last few years. To be able to throw something new at them is a really exciting thing for us.”

The injured Haynes agrees it’s good to see the likes of Sutherland and Wareham given more opportunity.

“At times ours is a really tough team to get selected in and that’s just the nature of it being competitive at this real top end in the international game,” she said.

“I think our selectors are doing an amazing job at making sure those players are getting an opportunity, but perhaps at times they’re not fulfilling the same role that they would in their state or WBBL teams, I think eventually those moments do come through whether it comes through injury or people not being available for selection.

“I think the selectors have done a good job in giving them opportunities along the way so that perhaps if players start to retire or their form isn’t consistent enough to warrant selection at this level, there are players there to potentially step up.”

Australia’s captain Meg Lanning agrees and identifies the side’s semi-final loss to India in the 2017 World Cup as a turning point not just for the players themselves, but for selectors.

“(Since that 2017 loss) we’ve been able to introduce some really young, exciting players who are pretty much fearless, they don’t really worry too much about what happens and that was how we wanted to embrace playing,” she said.

“So the T20 World Cup in 2018, we made some brave decisions, we picked Tayla Vlaeminck, Sophie Molineux and Georgia Wareham, and I don’t think Tayla had even debuted for the (Melbourne) Renegades (in the WBBL) at that stage.

“But we made some bold decisions on the back of the National Performance Squad program (in Brisbane) … (where we) were able to see how the young players coped with all the training and being away from home because it was essentially like being on tour.

“Making those decisions on those young players worked out, Georgia Wareham was excellent in that World Cup.”

And with Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown, Stella Campbell, Hannah Darlington, Maitlan Brown, Georgia Redmanye and others waiting in the wings to be Aussie regulars, there are now a number of names that selectors can call upon in January ahead of the Women’s Ashes.

Lanning said that augured well for the side.

“We haven’t just been the same team who’s dominating, we’ve been able to add to our squad and bring in new players and I think one thing that’s helped us be so successful, is that we’re not just relying on the same team, we’ve got really good depth.”

Originally published as Australia v India series ratings, result: Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney