ESPNcricinfo staff24-Apr-2015England made an early breakthrough as Devon Smith chopped into his own stumps•Getty ImagesBut Kraigg Brathwaite helped the hosts move into calmer waters during the afternoon•Getty ImagesBrathwaite and Darren Bravo added a century stand for the second wicket to frustrate England•Getty ImagesStuart Broad made an unexpected breakthrough to remove Bravo after tea…•Getty Images…but that was England’s only wicket after lunch as Moeen Ali struggled to create any pressure•Getty ImagesThere was little Alastair Cook could do in the face of such a flat wicket•Getty ImagesLate in the day, Brathwaite went through to a century, an innings of much determination, as West Indies closed 37 ahead•Getty Images

Chennai Super Kings have been the most economical bowling team of IPL 2015, but they are up against the best batting side in the last five overs

S Rajesh24-May-201510-11 Chennai Super Kings’ win-loss record against Mumbai Indians in IPL matches. Mumbai are the only team against whom Super Kings have lost more times than they have won in the IPL. In all games (including the Champions League), Super Kings have a 11-12 record against Mumbai.2 Number of batsmen from the Mumbai squad with 400-plus runs in the tournament. Brendon McCullum has scored 436 for Super Kings, but he isn’t in this IPL any longer. Among those available for selection for Super Kings, the top run-getter is Faf du Plessis with 379.71 Wickets taken by Super Kings’ pace bowlers, at an average of 21.45 and economy rate of 7.76. Mumbai’s fast bowlers have taken 51 wickets at an average of 33.54 and an economy rate of 8.67. The spinners are more closely matched – 29 wickets for Super Kings (economy rate 7.12) and 27 for Mumbai (economy rate 8.26).24 Wickets for Dwayne Bravo, the highest by any bowler in the tournament so far. Ashish Nehra and Lasith Malinga are joint third with 22 each. Twenty-two of Bravo’s 24 wickets have come in the last five overs of the innings.7.64 Super Kings’ economy rate in the tournament, the best among all teams. Mumbai have an economy rate of 8.63, which is second from the bottom. Mumbai have the better batting run rate, though – 8.65, compared to 8.20 for Super Kings.12.29 Run rate for Mumbai in the last five overs, the best among all teams. Their average of 26.43 runs per wicket is also the best by far. Super Kings have a run rate of 9.55 and an average of 18.67, both of which are second from bottom.201 Runs scored by Kieron Pollard in the last five overs, at a strike rate of 189.5. MS Dhoni has scored more runs in the last five overs this year – 227 – but at a slightly lower strike rate of 167.7.05 Mumbai’s run rate in the first six overs this season, the lowest among all teams. Super Kings have a rate of 8.12, third among all teams. However, in their last nine games the run rate in the first six overs for Mumbai has lifted to 7.83.26 Wickets taken by Super Kings in the first six overs, the most among all teams. Their bowling average of 26.84 is also the best, while their economy rate of 7.27 is second best. The two leading wicket-takers in the first six overs are both from Super Kings: Ashish Nehra, with 11, and Ishwar Pandey, with eight. Mumbai have taken 20 wickets in the first six, at an average of 35.85 and an economy rate of 7.96.2 Number of century partnerships for Mumbai’s openers. They are the only team with two century stands for the first wicket. Both hundred partnerships were by Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons, who have put together 618 runs at an average partnership of 51.50.7.16 The economy rate for Super Kings in the middle overs (7th to 15th), the best among all teams in IPL 2015. Mumbai have an economy rate of 8.13 during this period, second from bottom. However, Harbhajan Singh has taken 13 wickets in the middle overs, the second highest in this tournament after RCB legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal (15).274 Runs scored by Rohit in the middle overs, the second highest aggregate this season – only RCB’s AB de Villiers (297) has made more. Rohit has scored his runs at a strike rate of 133.5 during this period, and has been dismissed six times.4-3 The win-loss record for the teams batting first in IPL finals. The only teams to win when chasing a target are Kolkata Knight Riders (twice, in 2012 and 2014), and Rajasthan Royals, in the inaugural edition in 2008. Both Super Kings and Mumbai won their finals batting first.2-3 Super Kings’ win-loss record in finals – they won in 2010 and 2011, and lost in 2008, 2012 and 2013. Mumbai have a 1-1 record, losing in 2010 and winning the 2013 final.

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2015Azhar Ali, the other opener, was run out one short of a fifty and Pakistan became 124 for 2 in the 24th over•Associated PressInclement weather arrived in the 36th over and caused a brief disruption in play…•Associated Press…But that didn’t stop Mohammad Hafeez from getting to his 26th ODI fifty, nor Pakistan from easing to 200 in the 38th over•Associated PressSarfraz Ahmed was promoted to No. 4 and stroked a 74-ball 77 to lead the Pakistan innings. With some help from Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Rizwan in the final overs, the visitors posted a challenging 316 for 4•Associated PressPakistan took that momentum into the case as Anwar Ali removed Kusal Perera and Tillakaratne Dilshan and left Sri Lanka at 42 for 2•Associated PressLahiru Thirimanne made 56, but after he was dismissed Yasir Shah took over and Sri Lanka slipped away to 144 for 7. But…•Associated PressBut the match resumed, and Pakistan scuttled Sri Lanka for 181 to seal a 135-run win and took a 2-1 lead in the series•Associated Press

Plays of the Day from the only T20 between Zimbabwe and New Zealand in Harare

Abhishek Purohit09-Aug-2015The start
Prosper Utseya can be a difficult bowler to get away with his discipline but Kane Williamson took him apart in the opening over of the game with minimum violence. With no one in the deep on the off side, Williamson lifted three successive deliveries over extra cover to collect three pleasing fours.The escape-I
Williamson should have been gone seven deliveries before he eventually did. He pushed the last ball of the second over towards mid-on and rushed for the single. There was a direct hit even as Williamson stretched to try and make it in time. Umpire Langton Rusere did not see the need to go to the third umpire, even as replays suggested Williamson was just short of his ground.The escape-II
Luke Ronchi survived a run-out chance as well, this time with help from the wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva. George Worker had hit Sikandar Raza wide of sweeper cover and the batsmen decided to push for a third run. The throw from the deep lacked power and Chakabva came a few steps down the pitch to collect it. He had the stumps in sight from close range with Ronchi laboring across, but missed and ended up conceding four overthrows.The brave catch
Ish Sodhi hurt his spinning finger while attempting to catch Sean Williams off his own bowling. The blow was bad enough for Sodhi to bleed and require on-field treatment. Taped up, he continued bowling. In his next over, Williams charged out and hit another one back at Sodhi. This time, the legspinner stuck out his right hand and held on quite safely.

Stats highlights from the first ODI between India and South Africa in Kanpur

Shiva Jayaraman11-Oct-20151:25

By The Numbers – De Villiers equals SA’s ODI century record

5 Runs South Africa won this match by – their closest win against India when they have batted first. The last time India lost by an equal or narrower margin was in 2009 against Australia in Hyderabad, when they fell short by three runs chasing a target of 351.21 Centuries by de Villiers in ODIs, the joint most by any South Africa batsman. Hashim Amla and Herschelle Gibbs too have made 21 hundreds in ODIs.10 Centuries de Villiers has now hit in ODIs as captain; only three other captains – Ricky Ponting (22), Sourav Ganguly (11), and Sanath Jayasuriya (10) – have hit 10 or more centuries in ODIs. De Villiers is the quickest ODI captain to 10 hundreds having taken just 68 innings. Ganguly had taken 93 innings, Ponting 94 and Jayasuriya 106.0 Number of batsmen who had made a score of 150 or more against South Africa in an ODI chase before Rohit Sharma. The previous highest was Brendan Taylor’s 145 in Bloemfontein in 2010. Rohit’s knock was also only the fifth score of 150 or more by an India batsman in a chase.3 Number of 150-plus scores in chases that have come in a lost cause, including Rohit’s innings. The last such instance was Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 160 against India in Rajkot, in 2009. The first instance was by Sachin Tendulkar, who made 175 against Australia in Hyderabad in 2009. Overall, there have been 14 such scores in ODI chases. Four of Rohit’s 11 centuries in international cricket have been in a lost cause.40.19 Rohit’s batting average in ODIs, the first time his batting average has touched 40 ODIs. He has made 4462 runs from 133 innings including eight hundreds and 26 fifties. Rohit averages 69.26 in India, having made 1593 runs in 28 innings at a strike rate of 100.50 and has hit four hundreds – scores of 141*, 209, 264, 150 – and seven fifties.72.58 De Villiers’ batting average in ODIs in India . He has hit eight fifty-plus scores in just 16 innings in India, with seven of them coming in the last 10 innings. De Villiers has made 746 runs in his last 10 innings in India at an average of 124.33 and a strike rate of 121.30, with five hundreds and two fifties.19 Balls it took de Villiers to get to his century after making his fifty off 54 deliveries. He had hit only two boundaries -both sixes – till then. The next 19 deliveries, though, produced five fours, four sixes and 53 runs at a strike rate of 278.94.1025 Runs in ODIs against India by de Villiers; he became only the fourth South Africa batsman to score 1000 runs against India. De Villiers averages 51.25 against India and has made four hundreds and five fifties.0 Number of times teams had made 300 in an ODI in Kanpur before this match. The highest total at this venue before this match was 294 for 6 by India against Pakistan in 2007.13.44 Scoring rate of the partnership between de Villiers and Farhaan Behardien, the fourth-best for any fifty-plus stand in ODIs in India. JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis had scored at 15.44 runs an over against Netherlands in Mohali in the 2011 World Cup, which is South Africa’s best strike in a fifty-plus stand in ODIs in India.7 Fifty-plus scores du Plessis had made in the first three years of his ODI career. His next two years in ODIs have produced 14 such scores. Since 2014, du Plessis has made 1413 runs in ODIs at an average of 52.33, with four hundreds and 10 fifties in 30 innings. Before that, he averaged 27.55 from 45 innings in ODIs.21 Runs conceded by Stuart Binny in the 45th over, the most he has conceded in an over in international cricket. Binny’s first seven overs had gone for 42 runs. The 63 runs he conceded in this match are the most he has conceded in an ODI.7 Century stands by India batsmen against South Africa in ODI chases, including the one between Rohit and Ajinkya Rahane in this match. The last one had come in Centurion in 2011, for the ninth wicket between Yusuf Pathan and Zaheer Khan.4 Centuries by India batsmen in chases in ODIs against South Africa before Rohit Sharma’s in this match .The last such ton was by Yusuf Pathan in Centurion in 2011. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and WV Raman are the other batsmen with hundreds in chases against South Africa.3.63 Scoring rate of the partnership between Rohit and Virat Kohli. India had scored 191 runs in 33.4 overs at a run-rate of 5.67 when Rahane got out. India managed to score only 23 runs from the next 38 deliveries and hit only one four.2 Wickets Imran Tahir took in his last over – India’s 47th – giving away just four runs. He had conceded 53 runs off his first nine overs without taking a wicket.53 Runs scored by South Africa in the final three overs of their innings. India could manage only 25 runs for the loss of two wickets when 31 was required off the last three overs.

Sri Lanka’s ground-maintenance workers use ingenuity, speed and clockwork coordination to counteract the problems posed by a home season that coincides with the monsoon

Sharda Ugra in Colombo28-Aug-2015At one point after the 15th over on the first day of the third Test, the groundsmen on either side of the SSC square moved in. There was no rain, but they knew. In the media box with its views of the city, the construction cranes, scattered multi-storey towers, the white cupola of the town hall, and the slowly rising Lotus Tower were being obliterated by a curtain of grey.The groundskeeping team was on standby five minutes before they made their first move. By the time the rain came, in slanting silver, the men had the pitch and the square covered. With the rain beating down fiercely, they next covered the bowlers’ run-ups. In under nine minutes 80% of the field was under the large covers. The groundsmen, divided into four crews, dragging out waterproof sheets 100 feet square, were perfectly synchronised in their movements, much like an F1 pit crew. The cricket crew works over a much larger tract of land but their operation also requires speed of a relatively different scale and a sequential order of its own.This high-speed ground-covering is a specialty of Sri Lankan cricket – brought about as a solution to having to play most of their home international cricket in what is traditionally the country’s off season, when it rains – not in buckets but intermittently, like it threatened to during the Galle Test and at the P Sara, and like it eventually did after an hour on day one at the SSC. Sri Lanka play their home Tests in two batches – one lot in March and then between June and September.The SSC ground staff get their splash on, 2004•Getty ImagesAnurudda Polonowita, a former national curator and head priest of Sri Lankan cricket groundsmanship, says a skewed season led to finding an innovative answer to keep the game moving. Sri Lanka shares its home season (December to March), according to Polonowita, with India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh. “No one is going to leave their home country because of TV [rights] and money. That’s why they are coming to our country in their off season, in our rainy season. We have to play during that time, otherwise we won’t get a fixture. We have to adjust ourselves to play these matches or you won’t get the full play. So we started covering the whole pitch. We are the only country that do it.”For the last ten years or so, this logistical exercise has taken place before every big match in Sri Lanka. A few days before a game, close to 100 men are signed on as casual labour to add to the official ground-staff strength of around 15. They are then divided into four groups, each with a leader, usually an experienced groundsman. The groups undergo a simulated, timed exercise of pulling on the covers. The following morning the covers are pulled off to the count of a stopwatch. Every ground has around 10 to 15 giant rubberised canvas sheets, imported from India, each costing about LKR 800,000 (nearly US$6000). Since the 2011 World Cup, each ground in the country has its own set.Forty shades of grey? Time for the covers•PA PhotosJayananda Warnaweera, the Southern Province cricket association secretary, general boss, curator and caretaker of the Galle International Stadium, says Sri Lankan groundskeeping drills are “unlike any other in the world”. Galle’s groundskeepers need the extra assistance of used truck tyres to hold down the covers when strong winds come in from the sea next door.When asked what the tyres weigh, Chamara and Sampath look at each other. They are part of the casual labour for the first Test, earning LKR 1000 ($7.44) a day. One is a tuk-tuk driver and the other a mobile phone repairman. With a straight face comes the reply, “Thirty kilos.” Whatever the weight, these are substantial tyres, well over car size. Maybe 15-20kg minimum each then?Before the 2011 World Cup new grounds were built in Pallekele and Hambantota, with improved drainage and sprinkler systems. The country’s flagship ground, the R Premadasa Stadium in Khettarama, Colombo, was raised by 3.5ft. At the ICC World T20 in 2012, ten minutes was set as the benchmark for bringing in the covers.Before every big match in Sri Lanka, close to 100 men are signed on as casual labour to help with the covers•Sharda Ugra/ ESPNcricinfoThis is a transformation from the early ’90s, Polonowita remembers, when grounds in Sri Lanka had no rollers, and in some places the groundsmen would use lawnmowers on pitches. A former player, Polonowita is regarded as professor emeritus of Sri Lankan groundskeeping. He has a curatorship degree from the MCG and was involved in the construction of the Khettarama Stadium. In 2000, he signed on with Sri Lanka Cricket as national curator in charge of the country’s grounds, and before his retirement he trained seven graduates fresh from agricultural university to work in curatorship roles at the major grounds.”Our curators,” Polonowita says of his younger successors, “do a great job because we take over the grounds only two months before a big match.” The cricket grounds in Sri Lanka are used all year round for all kinds of matches – by schools, clubs, companies. P Sara, for example, he says, hosts ten to 12 matches every year, including on its prized centre pitches.Getting a ground ready in time for a big match is “about practical experience,” he says. That practical experience, along with a sense of innovation, has turned Sri Lanka’s off season into its international season.

The thrilling lives of the stars, laid bare for your delectation

Alex Bowden27-Nov-2015Jimmy Neesham sledged us.

—

Careful, Jimmy. We have the power to shift the decimal point in your batting and bowling averages, you know.That may be a bit underhand on our part, but sounds like Jimmy knows a thing or two about that kind of thing.

—

Agree that there will be no shenanigans and then shake on it. A handshake’s legally binding. Nothing controversial could ever come about following a handshake.The absence of one following an impressive innings, however…

—

Turns out the Aussies are perfectly happy to show a player respect.There was plenty more evidence of this as Mitchell Johnson’s team-mates lined up to pay overly emotional tribute to him upon his retirement.

—

Watson sometimes gives the impression that a great many things bring tears to his eyes. It took a fellow fast bowler to offer a pithier and rather less embarrassingly gushing take.

—

That’s how you use a hashtag.This is how you don’t.

—

It’s catching. Pretty soon the whole commentary box will be #justsaying things. That is, of course, their job – but you get the point.Here’s another poor hashtag.

—

It’s over, Shane. You can stop using the hashtag now.Nor is Warne the only Aussie clinging to past glories.

—

Gillespie was also spotted doing a bit of fielding by ex-Australia coach Tim Nielsen.

—

Tell you what that is – that’s banter. Gillespie won’t mind. They’re big on that kind of thing at Yorkshire.

—

Parthiv Patel meanwhile, is self-sledging, directing the banter at himself.

—

Kemar Roach is increasingly quiet on Twitter. It takes major developments to spur him into a tweet nowadays.

—

Meanwhile, Chris Gayle is continuing with what he does best – taking selfies with his shirt off.

—

Do you think he knows it’s possible to work out without a mirror?Somewhere in the world, there is always a cricketer not really committing to an opinion one way or the other about air travel.

—

He knows where he stands on rail travel, though.

—

Meanwhile, New South Wales’ Gurinder Sandhu is positively enthusiastic about bus travel.

—

It’s for this kind of insight into sporting lives that Twitter was made.

He was overshadowed by Ben Stokes’ feats, but Jonny Bairstow’s maiden Test was a special moment for a multitude of reasons

David Hopps03-Jan-2016Many Test cricketers have looked to the heavens before and many will do so in the future. Many have stories to relate and secrets they prefer not to tell, some happy, some desperately sad. Others gaze skywards simply because this is how they have always imagined it should be. But few have gazed upwards before with the emotional intensity of Jonny Bairstow.On the fourth day of the Cape Town Test, it will be the anniversary of the death of David Bairstow, Jonny’s dad – a suicide that shook the family to the core. Bluey was one of the best loved cricketers in Yorkshire’s history who earned four Test and 21 ODI caps for England. Jonny was eight years old. Eighteen years on, with his maiden Test century, he has come of age.Bairstow’s maiden Test hundred was an afterthought, submerged by a herculean double century played by Ben Stokes that suggested – physical fitness allowing – he can become the talismanic figure England want him to be. Even in his native Yorkshire they will grudgingly accept that Bairstow played second fiddle, not that any self-respecting Yorkshireman would feel obliged to hide away at the back of the orchestra when the applause sounded.There are many times when journalism feels intrusive, no matter how justifiable the moment, and this is one of those moments. To have some passing knowledge of the grief such trauma can bring gives at least some sort of insight. Rarely a day must pass without a confusion of love, anger, bewilderment, guilt or betrayal. A truce can be called, but a peace rarely negotiated.Perhaps now, though, that first Test century has been achieved, that moment lived, no more need be said. Perhaps it will be a healthy place to be when Jonny Bairstow can look to the heavens without further media questions. But perhaps, too, this was the occasion that Jonny and his mother Janet, as they experienced their proudest moment, invited the whole family – those living and not – to share in his triumph.As Janet said, she is “normally in a corridor hiding” when Jonny approaches a landmark. No fiercer advocate of a son’s talent exists in cricket. This time she watched, first braving it out in a hospitality box and then braving it out on in an interview Jonathan Agnew described as one of the most emotional of his life.”Well that was for grandad and for dad, all sorts of different reasons and it was all very emotional,” she said. “That was special to him because we are a small unit. They’ll be playing cricket upstairs somewhere. Or probably standing by the bar area.”There would be no probably about it.Do not expect a long speech from Bairstow on such an occasion. The family history tracks him every day. He must have received thousands of well-meaning memories during his own cricketing career and has slowly learned how to deal with them. He can be a private individual away from those he most trusts. At Cape Town, he achieved a lifetime ambition and the primeval roar and clenched jaw, not quite managing to suppress the emotions that leaked through, told its own tale. His dad once played and coached there. It was all enough to cause a small earthquake in Yorkshire.”It’s probably the best day of my life, I reckon,” Bairstow told “My mum was up there in one of the boxes, my sister as well. It’s a special day for all family – both here and up there.”There were a lot of things building up through the last couple of years: my grandpa passing away last year and dad – it’s the anniversary of that coming up as well – so I’m absolutely delighted to score it in this New Year’s Test match at such an iconic venue.”Stokes does not over-complicate life, but impressively he had the emotional intelligence not to intrude on what rightly became a private family celebration. “It’s your first hundred and you never have that again,” Stokes said. “It’s a special time: you want that 10-15 seconds all to yourself to take in the crowd and salute your team-mates. I let him have that moment.”As afterthoughts go, it had been a special one, as 150 not out from 191 balls upon England’s declaration will testify. Bairstow was never sucked in to trying to match Stokes blow for blow, but played with enough freedom to accompany him, to tell him that all things were possible.”Being the player I am, going hell for leather, you can get drawn into doing that yourself and the way he played his natural game and not get too far out of his box was amazing,” Stokes said. “Then once he got his hundred he let loose.”As Bairstow remarked: “We just clicked”.He has had a challenging year. Brought back into the England fold in early season, as a substitute for a dynamic and popular figure in Jos Buttler, his batting has developed rapidly – he averaged nearly 100 for Yorkshire in the Championship last season – but however much it aggravates him to hear it, his wicket-keeping remains flawed. At 26, approaching his best years, his challenge – and it is a formidable one – is to improve both facets of his game.For now, he can relish a Test hundred. “It has been a little while coming,” Bairstow told the . “Obviously after everything that has gone on in the last year or so it is fantastic to get over the line for me and my family. There was a lot of talk here and there so I am delighted to get over the line today.”A lotta talk – maybe, maybe too much talk,” as Bono once famously said before a live rendition of Sunday, Bloody Sunday.On a Sunday in Cape Town, as he thrust his heads to the heavens, it was time for the talking to stop.

Plays of the day from the second T20I between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in Mirpur

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur15-Nov-2015The bat-breaking cutterRegis Chakabva tried to fend back a Mustafizur Rahman cutter that nearly lobbed back to the left-arm bowler, but it fell inches short. Though Chakabva was safe, his bat was gone. The ball struck the splice of the bat, bending it backwards and it required Chakabva to change his bat.The grabSean Williams dived to his left full length to take a superb catch in the fifth over of the Bangladesh innings. The on-field umpires took a second look at the catch, but it was always going to be a clean grab. Imrul Kayes, the batsman, was disappointed to see his square drive thwarted in such spectacular fashion. The catch slowed down Bangladesh’s approach after Kayes and Tamim Iqbal had made a fast start.The false reverseAnamul Haque had cleanly struck a reverse sweep in the eighth over, the ball flying over short third-man for his first boundary. Devoid of big hits and battling a slow run-rate, Anamul’s second attempt at the shot in the 14th over also yielded a four, but it was given as byes as both Anamul and wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva missed the ball. It was one of two boundaries during a fourth-wicket stand that lasted 6.1 overs.The dangerous footworkSikandar Raza leaned into Mashrafe Mortaza’s first delivery of the Zimbabwe innings, but expected the ball to be fielded by Mahmudullah at mid-off. Mahmudullah tried to stop the ball with a sliding left foot that could have twisted dangerously. He missed the ball and it went to the boundary, but the damage could have been far worse for Bangladesh.The unstoppable policemanAfter Mustafizur Rahman overstepped and handed Neville Madviza a reprieve in the 19th over, the players got back to their mark. Suddenly two policemen started to run past the sight-screen as the bowler waited for Madviza to take strike. Another policeman was about to run away when a groundstaff held him by the arm, refusing to let go. They argued for a second before the policeman freed himself and walked across the sightscreen. By then, Mustafizur was already in his run-up, and Madziva missed the free-hit. The batsman didn’t complain though.

Australia’s marks out of ten after their 2-0 win in the Tests against West Indies

Daniel Brettig08-Jan-201610Adam Voges
Having piled up 375 runs without dismissal in the first two Tests, Voges was not even required to bat in the third, and his main contribution was to appear on stage to receive the Richie Benaud Medal as player of the series. His assurance at the crease was near enough to total, building a stand with Shaun Marsh in Hobart that broke all manner of records, then complementing Steven Smith perfectly in Melbourne. No batsman in history has a better record against a single nation than Voges’ average of 542.00 against West Indies.9Usman Khawaja
A fine hundred in Melbourne on his return from a hamstring complaint confirmed Khawaja beyond doubt as Australia’s long-term No. 3. He has struck the richest vein of form this summer, his sequence of innings across all formats since the tour match against New Zealand in Canberra reading: 111*, 21, 11, 174, 9*, 121, 109*, 144 and 56. There will be tougher Tests abroad, but Khawaja’s hot streak will afford him greater confidence to tackle them than ever before.Nathan Lyon
With the retirements of Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson followed by a long-term injury to Mitchell Starc, Lyon found himself often in the position of prime strike weapon for Steven Smith. His response was an emphatic series of displays against the West Indies, showcasing all the flight, loop and spin of a top quality tweaker. A threat whenever he came on to bowl, Lyon is now just 15 wickets away from becoming the first Australian off spinner to reach 200.8Joe Burns
Having started with a hundred against New Zealand, Burns’ summer seemed in danger of trailing off after his first morning dismissal against West Indies in Hobart. However he was shown worthwhile faith by the selectors when they retained him for Melbourne, and he responded with a Boxing Day hundred to effectively seal the series. Burns and David Warner are developing a strong understanding at the top of the order, and his effectiveness at short leg has grown with each match, highlighted by a wonderful snaffle to give Steve O’Keefe his first wicket in Sydney.Shaun Marsh
A beautiful hundred in Hobart was not enough for Marsh to retain his place in the side after Usman Khawaja returned from injury, but at least ensured that he will be the first man on the minds of the selectors whenever another vacancy comes up. He showed against New Zealand the West Indies evidence of an improved technique to deal with the moving ball, and will doubtless be the reserve batsman on overseas tours this year.Steven Smith
By the end of the Hobart Test, the 26-year-old Smith was described as moving around the field like “he was 36” by the coach Darren Lehmann, as knee and hip niggles to their toll. However a rest between Tests enabled him to regain some freedom of movement and play with typical panache on Boxing Day. He also led the side with an increasing level of dash, culminating in his last day offer of a chase to Jason Holder in Sydney. The offer was declined, but Smith’s attacking intent was clear.7James Pattinson
Epitomised by the late outswinger that sent Carlos Brathwaite’s off stump cartwheeling at the SCG or the lifter that caught the shoulder of Marlon Samuels’ bat in Hobart, Pattinson has shown tantalising glimpses of his very best as he trudges back to rhythm and confidence after lengthy sequence of injuries. In the absence of Starc, he was able to get through three Test matches without any major fitness concerns, and that will likely breed confidence into more future success.Josh Hazlewood
Bowled better than his figures suggest. After a seven-wicket haul in Hobart, Hazlewood took only one more wicket through the Boxing Day/New Year swing, but maintained pressure throughout. He was showing some signs of fatigue towards the end of his first full summer as a Test bowler, and having turned 25 on the day after the West Indies series ended will be carrying that load for many years to come as the steady link to more fiery counterparts.Mitchell Marsh
Had little to do in Hobart and Sydney, but on the one occasion Smith needed Marsh to step up he did so with four wicket to close things out in Melbourne. That performance showcased how far he has come as a bowler, delivering his seamers at high pace, moving the ball and extracting bounce where others were struggling to find it. A hesitant appearance with the bat in Sydney showed that he needs to rediscover confidence in hitting the ball – a thumper worthy of Andrew Flintoff, Marsh is better off in attack than worrisome defence.6David Warner
An ordinary record against the West Indies was one of the anomalies of Warner’s career until he got to the SCG, where a dashing last day hundred boosted his average while giving a patient crowd something to at least cheer about. Also played well on the first morning of the series in Hobart before tickling a ball down the leg side.Peter Siddle
Did what he most reliably does as the steadier in an attack, until ankle soreness began to affect him at the back end of the Melbourne Test. A struggling opponent like the West Indies is not one where Siddle is actually of best use, for the pressure he can create is of the kind most valuable against higher ranked opposition. To that end, Australia’s selectors will be eager to see him fit in time for the New Zealand tour.Peter Nevill
Did not get a bat in the series until its final hour in Sydney, but Nevill did not let anyone down with another eight catches as his tally of dismissals steadily grows. He can now look towards overseas assignments where there is little doubt he will at some point be asked to play the sorts of innings his neat technique suggests are within his grasp.Steve O’Keefe
Figures of 3 for 63 in Sydney made O’Keefe the ideal counterpoint to Lyon, and should ensure he is chosen when the selectors deliberate on their squad for the tour of Sri Lanka later this year.