Ashes 2019 | England Player Ratings - Joe Root’s 5/10 exemplifies England’s struggles

ByAnirudh Suresh, SportsCafe Editor

09/19/2019

At The Oval, England tipped off what was a rather bittersweet summer, winning the World Cup while relinquishing the urn at the same time. While there were a couple of silver linings, England more often than not found themselves clutching at straws with dubious selection calls adding to their woes.

The Oval served as an anti-climatic end to what was possibly the best Ashes series since 2005 and while England did end up winning the Test, they would look back at this series knowing they could have very well won it and made it the most memorable summer in the history of English cricket. Unlike Australia, England were under-prepared, under-cooked and ineffective with their planning and execution meaning they bungled the series despite it being well within their reach. It wasn’t until the Fifth Test that they nailed their selection and unfortunately, their stubbornness to persist with failing personnel eventually ended up costing them the Ashes.

Rory Burns - 7.5/10

Undoubtedly the find of the Ashes for England, Burns, in his very first innings of the series, set the blueprint for the rest of the English batters to follow. He also took a leaf out of Steve Smith’s books and showcased his real-time “problem solving” ability by making adjustments to his technique every time the Aussie bowlers thought they’d figured him out. From negating uncomfortable overs towards the day’s end to making hay while the sun shone, Burns executed his role to perfection throughout the series. However, he would look back and think that his tally of 390 runs could have and arguably should have been at least 500.

Jason Roy - 1.5/10

In many ways, you have to feel for Jason Roy. He was thrown in the line of fire by the team management knowing very well that he didn’t have the technique, temperament or ability to pass the rigours of Test cricket and so in many ways, his failure was unsurprising to say the least. He was tamed by every bowler he faced and the management's desperate last ditch attempt to salvage his career - and pride - by making him bat at No.4 also bore no fruit. It’s hard to imagine Roy back in the whites anytime soon and for his own well-being, one hopes that the selectors see him as nothing more than a white-ball specialist.

Joe Denly - 6/10

On the first look, it felt like Denly was a noob competing against Pro Gamers as more often than not, he found himself perishing in the very first round. But with every dismissal, he kept learning and learning and by the time the series ended, he somehow found himself competing against the very best and at times, even dominating the pros. In this Ashes, more than Denly the cricketer, we learnt more about Denly the team man, who was willing to go to unimaginable heights just to make a subtle difference in the hope of yielding better results. Not a great campaign by any stretch of imagination, but definitely, an encouraging one.

Joe Root - 5/10

Joe Root can deny that captaincy has not affected his batting but the stats and facts don’t lie and the truth lies out there in the open for everyone to see. While with the bat, it was the same ol’ tale of him not converting his fifties into hundreds, a stark contrast between the Root of 2019 from the previous ones was his itchiness and twitchiness - both while batting and captaining - which seldom inspired his teammates. More often than not, he looked like a man who wanted to be away from the spotlight and thus unsurprisingly, he became the first English skipper since 2001 to let the Aussies retain the urn. An alarming series, if there ever was one.

Ben Stokes - 9.5/10

Head and shoulders above any other English cricketer in the series, Ben Stokes’ courage, confidence, self-belief and drive is nothing but astounding. At Edgbaston one feared if the World Cup success sucked the living soul out of Stokes and drained him emotionally, but he soon hit the reset button at Lord’s and transformed into an unstoppable juggernaut. While Leeds will always steal the limelight, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Stokes was instrumental in inspiring the team and pulling the strings together - unlike Root - when the chips were down. Agonizingly short of a perfect 10 but hey, that’s why we call this “Steve Smith’s Ashes.”

Jonny Baristow - 4/10

In all fairness, Jonny Bairstow should consider himself extremely lucky to have played all five Tests of the series, as at no point in the series did he look like inflicting damage on the opposition. The radical flaw in his technique - that of being dazzled by the ball coming in - was exploited by Pat Cummins & co for fun and his inability to occupy the crease for extended periods also meant that the Aussies more often than not got a free shot at knocking off the tail. A forgettable series which should concern both himself the selectors going forward.

Jos Buttler - 5.5/10

Buttler, for the majority of the series, threatened to have a Bairstow-esque series but found his feet in the last two matches and looked like he belonged to this level. The lack of clarity on what his role was affected him to a large extent and it wasn’t until he got the chance to bat with the tail - meaning he got the license to free his arms - that he started to excel. While Buttler did make amends for his dismal start to the series by resurrecting it towards the end, his campaign was still nothing more than a C - at best.

Moeen Ali - 1/10

Now, as you’re reading this you’re probably wondering if Moeen even played in this Ashes. The answer is yes, at Edgbaston, but I guess he won’t mind it too if the whole world forgets about his presence in that match. Out-batted by Broad and out-bowled by Denly, Birmingham almost served as Moeen’s public plea to get him out of the team for his own good. Like Roy, especially after the performance of Leach, it is hard to see Moeen coming back to Test cricket anytime soon and being the down to earth Man he is, he’d be the first person to admit that he let his team down - big time.

Chris Woakes - 6/10

Getting Steve Smith out thrice should automatically warrant someone 10 points, but sadly, as they came when he was on 92, 80 and 142, Woakes won’t get full marks. In many ways, it was a weird campaign for the all-rounder, who was, in the first two tests, rock solid with the bat, but failed to pack a punch with the ball. He fizzled out as the series progressed and even on his comeback at The Oval, looked like he’d run out of gas. It’s fair to say that a lot more was expected of him, especially with the ball, but then he can be excused taking into account the long and hard summer he had.

Craig Overton - 4/10

Craig Overton, in the years to come, will probably be remembered for the same reason Michael Kasprowicz is. Controversially picked ahead of both Woakes and Curran at Old Trafford, Overton erred on his line and length and at times was nothing more than hitting practice for Steve Smith. While he showed much better control in the second innings, he still lacked the bite to penetrate through the Australian batting and it eventually ended up hurting England. Like Woakes, he too out-performed his bowling with his batting, but it didn’t quite serve the purpose of what he was picked for.

Sam Curran - 7.5/10

It is indeed flabbergasting that it took England five matches to give Sam Curran a go and being the “X-Factor” he is, Curran made an instant impact as he ran through the Aussie batting and triggered a late collapse on Day 2. At times, he did trouble Smith and even came close to trapping him in front of the stumps twice or thrice and despite not claiming his wicket, managed to keep Smith at bay throughout the first innings. All in all, despite getting just one chance, Curran put his hand up to be a regular in the Test line-up and shamed the selectors for overlooking him for four Tests.

Jack Leach - 8/10

He’s now a cult hero for his 1* at Headingley, but make no mistake, Leach’s bowling deserves every ounce of praise and recognition too. On wickets that both did and did not offer help, the Somerset man out-bowled his counterpart Nathan Lyon and made life hell for the Aussie batsmen with his consistency. Perhaps he would have won the Lord’s Test too had there been more overs left but he made up for it with his performance in the final Test. His resistance with the bat, too, has been admirable and he did his best to wear down the Aussie bowlers. Leach is definitely here to say and dare I say he has it in him to fill the Graeme Swann-shaped void in the team.

Jofra Archer - 8/10

In a span of just four Tests, Archer managed to turn around the perception of him being a white-ball specialist who will get worn down in Test cricket. Perhaps we all need to be grateful to Archer for making this Ashes special, for it wouldn't have been this spicy had he not featured in this series. The sheer impact and energy he brought to the table caught Australia - and Steve Smith - off guard in more than one way and you could bet that they’re now breathing a sigh of relief on not having to face Archer every other day. Yes, this will go down in history books as Steve Smith’s Ashes, but Jofra Archer is not far away from making an Ashes series one of his own.

Stuart Broad - 8.5/10

For Stuart Broad, claiming the wicket of left-handers - in particular, Warner - in this series was as easy as flicking a ball off the hip is for Smith, as he did it at will from start to finish. When the whole of England went into meltdown after James Anderson’s breakdown, Broad restored sanity and took the responsibility on his own shoulders to lead his country from the front. With the brand new Dukes cherry in his hand, he put the Aussies in a spot of bother every single time he had the ball and made English fans forget the existence of Anderson with every passing minute. He, alongside Cummins, was undoubtedly the best and the most consistent bowler in the series.

James Anderson - NA/10

Anderson walked off the field at Edgbaston after just four overs and never featured in the series again. But we hear every English fan utter the words “We would have won the Ashes had Jimmy been there”. Fair enough, but mind you, even Archer said prior to Old Trafford that he didn’t take Smith’s wicket because the latter never came to bat and it eventually never happened, so I guess you’ll always have to take the statements of the English with a pinch of salt. Just like his presence in this Ashes, NA is what will go next to Anderson’s name.