4th Test at the Gabba, Brisbane, 15 - 19 Jan 2021

[Spark]

Lyon was reasonably threatening. And there was a fascinating spell where he kept teasing Pant with slightly widish ones, I was sure he'd keep leaping out and try to smash those but it only happened once or twice.

Yeah had Lyon kept hanging it out wide like that, I reckon Pant would have had a very tough time scoring as quickly as he did in that last half hour.

 

[Teja.]

Hazlewood looked pretty flat tbh. Not bad but he looked totally cooked. Lyon was better but he also was coming off a very low base in terms of wicket taking threat and even then, didn't exactly look unplayable. Paine ended up stitching up Steve Smith pretty hard as he predicted last night that Green would be a major factor and take a bunch of wickets. Bowled three okay overs early on and was never seen again.

I think the performance is reflected pretty well on a scoreboard. They weren't, like, mown down the way SA did when they chased down 400, but they were well beyond the end of their tether as a collective energy-wise and the pitch didn't really do a great deal.

I thought Hazelwood looked nearly impossible to score off at times, like the 35-30 over point after tea where he had the batsmen completely locked at the crease.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Hazlewood looked pretty flat tbh. Not bad but he looked totally cooked. Lyon was better but he also was coming off a very low base in terms of wicket taking threat and even then, didn't exactly look unplayable. Paine ended up stitching up Steve Smith pretty hard as he predicted last night that Green would be a major factor and take a bunch of wickets. Bowled three okay overs early on and was never seen again.

I think the performance is reflected pretty well on a scoreboard. They weren't, like, mown down the way SA did when they chased down 400, but they were well beyond the end of their tether as a collective energy-wise and the pitch didn't really do a great deal.

Yes, but I think Green could have still bowled a few and reduced pressure on Cummins and Hazelwood especially once Starc acting up his true self vs Ind. Heck, even Labu was thrown the ball.

Less of Starc and more Green might have even seen a draw tonight.

 

[Kirkut]

Nah despite the injuries caused by short pitched bowling (Its test cricket ffs), this series was largely Kumbaya till India sneaked one on Aus with the MCG win. Aus I think clearly underestimated Ind there.

Come SCG and Aussies were back to the much more familiar Heels mode. Even Paine resorting to laughable jibes and Marnus trying hard to act like a 15 Yr old.

For me the real heel turn came this last test when Lyon launched one aimed at Sundar's head after fielding in follow through. There was no apology or even a pretension of false concern ala Brett Lee. And at that moment i knew this was true blue test.cricket in Australia. Hazelwood constantly staring at Pujara like an Indian boomer looking at a modern dressed girl on the street, and chiming in what only he could hear was nice to see as well.

Finally some real edge and these only added to the feeling of this being an unbekivably hard fought win.

Always loved Aussies. Irrespective of who wins, they make you play out of your skins whether at home or away.

 

[Spark]

I thought Hazelwood looked nearly impossible to score off at times, like the 35-30 over point after tea where he had the batsmen completely locked at the crease.

I think that was mostly just Pujara doing Pujara things though. He certainly wasn't bad, but he didn't ever really look that much of a threat today compared to the first innings. He just looked really tired.

 

[Prince EWS]

I thought Hazelwood looked nearly impossible to score off at times, like the 35-30 over point after tea where he had the batsmen completely locked at the crease.

Yeah I think Spark's assessment of "flat" and "cooked" only really applies to his post-tea bowling. He was good before then.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Lyon was reasonably threatening. And there was a fascinating spell where he kept teasing Pant with slightly widish ones, I was sure he'd keep leaping out and try to smash those but it only happened once or twice.

Not sure bowling wide qualifies as threatening. Pant was mature enough to avoid the bait, and won the mental game by making Lyon bowling closer to him, since Aus needed wickets.

Also with long on and long off and zero close in fielders? That's an ODI death overs field placing ffs.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Always loved Aussies. Irrespective of who wins, they make you play out of your skins whether at home or away.

Yes but this looked very forced and almost reluctant, except Lyon for whom it was like homecoming.

But he was **** anyway.

 

[Teja.]

This series has made me a big Hazelwood fan btw. I had mentally grouped him and Starc at the same level pre-series with Haze slightly better but now I think Haze is borderline ATG quality. Just bowls some mental spells at times, even harder than Cummins to really go after without significant luck and keeps it tight even when not being extremely threatening. I also really enjoy watching him operate, one of my favourites to watch bowl along with Wagner, because they cramp batsmen for space in different ways and make batting fluently so hard.

I also feel he's improved considerably over the last 2-3 years.

 

[OverratedSanity]

The most alpha moment of the test was when one ball after Lyon landed one in the crack and it spun 2 metres, Pant said **** it and ran down to deposit one for six. It was really ****ing stupid but holy ****.

 

[Shri]

didn't pant tell some bowler that he had to bowl closer to him

 

[Senile Sentry]

This series has made me a big Hazelwood fan btw. I had mentally grouped him and Starc at the same level pre-series with Haze slightly better but now I think Haze is borderline ATG quality. Just bowls some mental spells at times, even harder than Cummins to really go after without significant luck and keeps it tight even when not being extremely threatening. I also really enjoy watching him operate, one of my favourites to watch bowl along with Wagner.

I also feel he's improved considerably over the last 2-3 years.

ATG ? :/

 

[Kirkut]

Yes but this looked very forced and almost reluctant, except Lyon for whom it was like homecoming.

But he was **** anyway.

I want Starc to go Super Saiyan when he tours next time to India, bowl yorkers at 154 kph like he did to Karun Nair and avenge everything.

 

[Teja.]

ATG ? :/

ATG quality which is a snapshot as opposed to career.

 

[Senile Sentry]

The most alpha moment of the test was when one ball after Lyon landed one in the crack and it spun 2 metres, Pant said **** it and ran down to deposit one for six. It was really ****ing stupid but holy ****.

Could have been career ending had it not worked as well. But that's Pant.

 

[Senile Sentry]

I want Starc to go Super Saiyan when he tours next time to India, bowl yorkers at 154 kph like he did to Karun Nair and avenge everything.

He won't tour Ind I am sure.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Wouldve all been pointless 4th innings hit and giggle without that Shardul-Sundar partnership though. Series was gone if that partnership ended cheaply.

 

[Senile Sentry]

ATG quality which is a snapshot as opposed to career.

Fair dinkum.

 

[Spikey]

The most alpha moment of the test was when one ball after Lyon landed one in the crack and it spun 2 metres, Pant said **** it and ran down to deposit one for six. It was really ****ing stupid but holy ****.

It was actually when they gave lyon the shirt

 

[anil1405]

Wouldve all been pointless 4th innings hit and giggle without that Shardul-Sundar partnership though. Series was gone if that partnership ended cheaply.

Same could be said about that Vihari-Ashwin partnership. It's good to see the entire team contributing instead of just one or two. Pant proved to be a X factor though.