Hits & flops of the Ashes

Mitchell Starc 
Matches: 5
Wickets: 31,
Runs: 156
Australia pacer Mitchell Starc claimed the Compton-Miller Medal after finishing with 31 wickets and contributing 156 runs. The 35-year-old was lethal right from the opening over of the series, dismissing England’s openers four times in the first over of an innings. He finished with two five-wicket hauls and a 10-wicket match haul. He also became the most successful left-arm seamer during the Brisbane Test. Starc’s valuable knocks of 77 and 54 in Brisbane and Adelaide demonstrated his importance with the bat as well.

 
Travis Head 
Matches: 5
Runs: 629
Travis Head was the most destructive batter of this series, piling up 629 runs, including three centuries. His fearless approach consistently put England under pressure. Asked to open the batting in the second innings of the opening Test in Perth, Head hammered 123 off 83 balls to take the game away from the Englishmen. There was no looking back for the left-hander thereafter. He maintained a fine strike-rate of 87.36 throughout the series, and his dominance left England’s bowlers struggling.

Alex Carey 
Matches: 5
Runs: 323
Dismissals: 28
While the pacers grabbed most of the attention, wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey emerged as the unsung hero of Australia’s success. He enjoyed a career-best series behind the stumps, finishing with 28 dismissals — 27 catches and one stumping. Carey also made vital contributions with the bat, scoring 323, including his maiden Ashes ton (106) in Adelaide, an innings that played a key role in the Aussies securing the Urn.

Flops

Ben Duckett
Matches: 5
Runs: 202
Ben Duckett was one of the main reasons behind England’s struggles in Australian conditions. The opener averaged just 20.20 and failed to register a single half-century across 10 innings. His inability to see off the new ball repeatedly exposed Joe Root and the middle order to challenging conditions, denying England the solid starts they desperately needed.

Zak Crawley 
Matches: 5
Runs: 273

Zak Crawley endured a demoralising start to the series, being dismissed for a duck in both innings of the opening game in Perth. Although the 27-year-old showed flashes of brilliance with half-centuries in Brisbane and Adelaide, he struggled to be consistent throughout the series. Crawley finished with 273 runs at an average of 27.30 and lacked the grit needed to survive a tough five-Test series.

Ollie Pope 
Matches: 3
Runs: 125
Top-order batter Ollie Pope’s had a difficult tour, described as “frenetic” and “chaotic” by former England captain Nasser Hussain. Struggling at the crucial No. 3 position, Pope managed only 125 runs at an average of 20.83 before being dropped for the final two Tests. His tour was marked by soft dismissals and an inability to adapt to Australia’s bouncy pitches, with a highest score of just 46 in six innings. England eventually replaced him with the young Jacob Bethell, 22, for the Boxing Day Test.