The economy rates were eye-watering but Pat Cummins and co did produce key spells to help retain the urn
Andrew McGlashan29-Jul-2023The Ashes remain in Australia’s hands, but over the five Tests their attack has come under a sustained bombardment like nothing they have felt before. They were under pressure from ball one of the series when Zak Crawley drove through the covers at Edgbaston. None of the frontline bowlers will finish with an economy rate of less than four an over, while overall it’s comfortably the least maidens Australia have managed in a series of at least five matches.To their credit, they have had only one innings where things completely blew out – when England piled up 592 at Old Trafford – and they were able to make inroads often enough in the first two Tests to take the 2-0 lead that ultimately has proved the difference in the series. At times they have responded to the pressure well, but England have also held the upper hand for significant stretches, particularly in the latter part of the series, which has left Australia chasing their tails.Related
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With only one more wicket to take, should England decide to bat on at The Oval, here’s a look over how Australia’s bowlers have fared over the five Tests.Mitchell Starc (23 wickets at 26.82, economy 4.85)After the 2019 series where he played just one Test, this has been a significant success story for Starc. He was again omitted for the opening game at Edgbaston but since then has been ever present, fighting a shoulder injury to complete the series at The Oval. Four years ago he tried to buy into the team philosophy of bowling dry, but economy rates were always likely to skewed in this series and that worked to Starc’s strength of being a strike bowler. He was particularly impressive at Lord’s and Headingley, but saved one of his best deliveries for the final Test when he cleaned up Ben Stokes with a late-swinging beauty.Pat Cummins (18 wickets at 37.72, economy 4.27)At times he was the usual irrepressible Cummins, notably the second innings at Edgbaston and Lord’s (where he produced one of the balls of the series to remove Harry Brook) and, largely, the first innings at Headingley. In a sign of his durability, having played all six Tests on the trip, he saved one of his best spells for the opening day at The Oval, which only earned him one wicket. However, at Old Trafford he suffered the worst outing of his career where captaincy and bowling challenges collided and rarely has he had the sustained pressure on the batters he is so accustomed to. In the latter two Tests of the series, he has (with one wicket left) managed just three at 91.33 and gone for more than five an over. Often, because of deep-set fields, England have been able to rotate the strike against his natural good length by dropping and running into the off side. His average is comfortably the highest where he has played at least three matches in a series.Josh Hazlewood (16 wickets at 31.68, economy 4.56)Before the series, after being ruled out of the World Test Championship final against India, Hazlewood said that playing three Ashes Tests would be minimum for him to be satisfied after a stop-start two years due to injury. In the end he managed four, being rotated out for Headingley, and at times has been able to produce threatening spells. He had a big impact on the final day at Lord’s, claiming Ben Duckett and then the vital wicket of Ben Stokes to end his stunning 155. The delivery to remove Brook on the third day at The Oval was trademark Hazlewood, lifting and nipping away on off stump, but sometimes there was a feeling of a bowler who may have passed his peak. Or perhaps that was just the Bazball effect.Scott Boland (2 wickets at 115.50, economy 4.91)Boland entered the series on the back of an outstanding showing in the WTC final – at which point he had 33 wickets at 14.57 from eight Tests – but the Ashes proved a tougher prospect as England embarked what appeared a calculated approach to take him down in the opening Test where he conceded 5.65 an over. The one moment he looked really threatening was under the lights on the third evening at Edgbaston and he bowled better than a wicketless return at Headingley would suggest.Todd Murphy (6 wickets at 30.16, economy 4.82)Murphy has had huge shoes to fill after the injury to Nathan Lyon and only really in his final bowling innings of the series had a chance to get into his work. He was hit by a Stokes onslaught at Headingley (but did get him out) and was only used for two overs in England’s chase. Then, for first time in 11 years, Australia went without a specialist spinner at Old Trafford. Recalled at The Oval, he has shown his mettle and produced a ripping delivery, aided by some low bounce, to remove Joe Root.Mitchell Marsh (3 wickets at 55.66, economy 4.91)He did a handy job at Headingley on his recall where his nipping outswingers twice removed Zak Crawley. It was a surprise he did not bowl to Crawley at Old Trafford until he had 112. At The Oval he has largely managed to hold his economy as well as anyone. In the allrounder debate that looks set to follow for the Test team, the question could be how his body can sustain the workload.Cameron Green (5 wickets at 47.00, economy 5.14)Green was a willing participant in the short-ball plan at Lord’s after the attack lost Lyon and was the first bowler to, marginally at least, slow England’s rampant scoring at Old Trafford. The fact England’s innings have not extended for too long has reduced the need for the fifth bowler.Nathan Lyon (9 wickets at 29.33, economy 4.00) Lyon limping off the ground at Lord’s, in his 100th consecutive Test, felt like a huge moment. Without two days of rain in Manchester, it might have been Ashes defining. He had been superb at Edgbaston, holding his nerve against England’s aggression, and defeating Root in the second innings was a key dismissal. Australia will hope they are several years away from having to replace him permanently, but this was a window into the size of that task.
