Ind vs Aus: 'Why On Earth Would You Not Have a Bat-Pad?' - Shane Warne Questions Nathan Lyon's Tactics

Legendary legspinner turned commentator Shane Warne slammed Nathan Lyon and Tim Paine for not having more close-in catchers on the off-side in the first session of the final day's play in the fourth Test between India and Australia in Brisbane.

Warne said Lyon should attack with a silly point, even as Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill battled on in chase of 328.

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“Here’s a guy who has played 100 Tests, he has bowled enough balls to Pujara, he knows how he has got him out on the off-side with a bat-pad, he knows how it changes his game, so why on earth would you not have one?” Warne said on Fox Cricket.

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“Normally what would happen, Tim Paine the captain would come up and say what field do you want, and then the bowler would say what sort of field he wants because that’s how he’s trying to get him out.

“Then the captain would say have you thought about the bat-pad on the off-side or do you want catching mid-wicket and the bowler would say no, this is the field that I like. Then generally the captain would go with that.

“This is not a Tim Paine issue, this is more a Nathan Lyon issue. But as a captain with Tim Paine, I would say ‘now Nathan you sure you don’t want to start with a bat-pad on the off-side?’

“This is where bowlers and captains can have a bit of an argument. Because the bowler wants the field he wants.

“I’m sure Tim Paine is saying why aren’t we having a bat-pad on the off-side. If Nathan Lyon doesn’t get him out early, he’s had five overs now, this is where Tim Paine can say look, it’s not working, we’ve got 20 minutes til lunch, can we try plan b and have a bat-pad on the off-side. I’ve given you what you like, lets’ try this now.”

Warne said he found it inexplicable that Lyon didn't want to bowl outside off stump lines.

“I can’t come up with a reason, because there isn’t one for not having one – a bat-pad on the off-side. I don’t know. I wish I could say to you this is the reason why but I can’t come up with anything,” he added.

“I’d like to think I know a little bit about spin bowling and I was quite successful at it, and I have watched Nathan Lyon for a long period of time and talked to Nathan Lyon about the bat pad on the off-side to Pujara and he says he feels he can’t bowl as wide.

“But then he put him in Adelaide and he knocked him over and he looked a completely different player and he said you’re right. So why does he not have one today? That’s what I don’t understand. Because he knows it works.

Later in the second session, Lyon got Gill caught at slip bowling outside off stump line, as Warne had wanted him to.

Nice Garry! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Wvtf7I2Xxb

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 19, 2021

India are chasing 328 for a series win.

• Cheteshwar Pujara
• Nathan Lyon
• Shane Warne
• Shubman Gill
• Tim Paine