**Official** Australia in Sri Lanka Jan - Feb 2025

[Spark]

The turning point from him was when he decided to just reverse sweep everything in sight when facing Yasir Shah in that UAE series (which was absolutely no small test at the time). Has gone from strength to strength since, as a sort of living repudiation of Chappellism (as he doesn't really use his feet that much and tends to play off the back foot or use the sweep).

 

[BazBall21]

Yeah Khawaja's peak as an opener was in SL, IND, and PAK primarily. His big runs in ENG and AUS came on pitches that where either a bit slower, a bit flatter or both.

His peaks v pace&spin came at different times. His peak against pace was probably the 2016/17 series v SAF whereas his peak v spin has been post-covid.

Natural that he's vulnerable to extra bounce at his age and he has built his recent grinding game to facilitate declining physical attributes but he was never the best v the moving ball; has left better though in this phase of his career.

 

[Nintendo]

Wonderful shot from Smith.

 

[Qlder]

Wonderful shot from Smith.

What's with the boundary ropes being 20 metres in from the boundary? That should have been 4 not 6

 

[Anthony Clayden]

Chance for close to 100 overs in a day at rate they're bowling them

 

[Johan]

Chance for close to 100 overs in a day at rate they're bowling them

spin trash taking the suspense out of the game by overdoing it, typical spinners

 

[Johan]

Haha Smith putting Spinners in their place, love to see it

 

[Spark]

Chance for close to 100 overs in a day at rate they're bowling them

Honestly they should really slow down and actually think about they're doing, they're just going through the motions now and it's not entirely clear what they want to achieve beyond "hope the pitch does something unusual and gets us a wicket"

 

[Starfighter]

The turning point from him was when he decided to just reverse sweep everything in sight when facing Yasir Shah in that UAE series \

Funnily enough, the approach he just took to Vandersay in that over

 

[Spark]

Funnily enough, the approach he just took to Vandersay in that over

Certainly preferable to prodding forward from the crease, which should have seen him dismissed ten minutes ago

 

[Burgey]

Smith is taking the piss here.

 

[Starfighter]

What's with the boundary ropes being 20 metres in from the boundary? That should have been 4 not 6

I've always thought that if you can have 80 metre boundaries, you should.

 

[halba]

Pitch is a flat subcontinental road. The curators and Jayasuriya messed up.

The turn is pretty slow.

 

[sayon basak]

We still have Labuschagne and Smith to bowl leg spin

Labuschagne is a fast bowler imo

 

[Burgey]

fmd this is shambolic from SL

 

[Spark]

Smith is taking the piss here.

Genuinely like someone grabbed a control dial as soon as he passed 50 in Brisbane and turned it back to 2017.

 

[Spark]

Oh come on that's ridiculous.

 

[sayon basak]

Good to see Smith Bazball.

 

[Nintendo]

This is not a a 213-2 pitch. Sri Lanka are bowling rank and fielding like Muppets. We should be 5 down RN

 

[Spark]

This is not a a 213-2 pitch. Sri Lanka are bowling rank and fielding like Muppets. We should be 5 down RN

Yeah there's a real chance the game is effectively settled in the next two hours.