Let’s face it, as I look through the two teams and how they have performed during this two-match series, one has to seriously think about why the ICC aren’t seriously thinking about splitting the test teams into two divisions. No one wants to see cricket that is horribly lop-sided, and it can’t be good for the development of New Zealand cricket to be dealt such heavy defeats.
Here are the rankings out of ten for the players in the series in batting order.
AUSTRALIA
Shane Watson – 5 – It is so hard to really give a player a ranking off one game, but Watson played well when he got the chance, making a brisk 65 in Australia’s crucial second innings in the second test. He bowled very little, and given that he only played one match, must have a tired body after a long Southern summer.
Not many cricket lovers question that Ricky Ponting, along with Tendulkar and Lara, is one of the best three batsmen of our generation. The stats certainly back this up as he stands on the verge of surpassing Alan Border as Australia’s highest ever run getter. Ponting has hit 38 centuries, second only to Tendulkar who has 42 albeit in 26 more tests, and his average before the start of the Edgbaston test is 56.31.
