Ashes 2015: England team report

Tags: The Ashes 2015, England

Published on: Aug 26, 2015

England played some excellent cricket in three of the five Tests to clinch the 2015 Ashes 3-2. Here's a closer look at how the players performed.

England played some excellent cricket in three of the five Tests to clinch the 2015 Ashes 3-2. Here's a closer look at how the players performed.

Stuart Broad (9/10): Without doubt, his best effort till date. Broad pitched up the ball further than he usually does, and was rewarded suitably for the same. His spell at Trent Bridge was spectacular, and blew away Australia within an hour. Although his batting has petered away, he made a mini-comeback of sorts.

Joe Root (9/10): If it was Broad with the ball, it was Root with the bat for England. After that special effort from Broad, he set up England's Ashes victory with a memorable hundred. Root went into the series in excellent form, and continued the same, being aggressive while also being consistent. Clearly a legend in the making here.

Moeen Ali (8/10): It is time to stop reacting to Ali's success with surprise. With 12 wickets, and most of them well earned, he was the second highest wicket-taker in the series. Australia, like other sides, also began by taking him lightly. Lower down the order, he played some crucial knocks to steady the innings after England found themselves in trouble.

Steven Finn (7/10): A good comeback for Finn after his recent struggles, although his consistency is still missing. He picked up 8 wickets on his comeback to the Test side, including six in the second innings. He swung the ball impressively, and had an excellent strike rate. He struggled to maintain a good line and length at Trent Bridge and The Oval though.

James Anderson (6/10): England won the series with ease despite missing him in more than two Tests as he got injured. When he played, Anderson delivered mixed results. He took six wickets at Edgbaston to lead the team to victory, but looked out of sorts at Lord's and even at Cardiff, to an extent. Injuries seem to be taking a toll on his career.

Ben Stokes (5/10): He made an impression although it was not always a significant one. His spell at Trent Bridge was crucial as it scuttled an excellent comeback from Australia. He also flourished with the bat in the initial Tests. But, as the series progressed, his performances began losing steam. He can improve for sure.

Mark Wood (4.5/10): The fast bowler is a work in progress. He began impressively at Cardiff, but could not maintain his good form, and was dropped after a shoddy show at Lord's. His return wasn't particularly impressive, but he made decent batting contributions.

Alastair Cook (4/10): The England captain had a forgettable series with the bat. He got only a couple of fifties, but otherwise, Australia had the measure of him. England's triumph dwarfed his failures.

Gary Ballance, Ian Bell and Johnny Bairstow (4/10): They all had not so memorable series'. Ballance got a fifty early in the series, but in the other knocks, he was completely unconvincing. Bell got half-centuries in both innings under tough conditions at Edgbaston. On the flip side, he finished the series with a best of 65 and an average under 30. Bairstow began with an attacking 74 at Trent Bridge, but later reverted to his struggling ways.

Jos Buttler (2/10): The wicket-keeper's worst series till date. He just could not stand up to the Ashes challenge with the bat. He looked good at The Oval, but some of the shots he played to get out prove he has lots to learn.

Adam Lyth (1/10): The opener was lucky to have played in all five Tests, but he did not deliver the results, failing to reach even a half-century. He averaged under 13, struggling with confidence and technique. Difficult to see him playing for England in the future.

-- By A Cricket Analyst

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