The batsmen cop it, and rightly so. But what about the bowlers? Lyon cops some stick, but what about the quicks? They’re put on a pedestal they are undeserving of. At least these days. They coast on reputation. If it wasn’t for Starc ripping through and getting 5 and 6 every now and then, they’d be screwed. Twice in this series, SA were on the ropes and this supposed legendary cartel let them off the hook when batsmen went on to score centuries that won SA those Tests and the series. Lyon is 40 in December. Seriously, enough is enough. And the others are aging too. I feel like the hangover when these guys go will be worse than when McGrath and Warne retired. I see us losing both in India and England next year.
Australia wins matches off the backs of the bowlers, sometimes they have to deliver with bat and ball. You're pointing to two away Test matches as an example of the bowling "failing" when the batting failed dismally in either one or both innings. They took 50 wickets in the 5 innings that they held the ball, they did their job.
Starc: #2 ranked Test bowler
Boland: #6
Cummins: #7
Hazlewood: #9
SA has two bowlers inside the top 10, Australia has four. We only have batsmen inside the top 20 and neither stood up this series.
The biggest mistake in the second and third Test was persisting with an all rounder and leaving out Boland.
Calendar year 2026:
Starc: 32 wickets @ 19.8, 2 x 5fa 1 x 10wm
Hazlewood: 18 @ 22.3, 2 x 5fa
Cummins: 13 @ 33.7
Boland: 9 @ 23.6, 1 x 5fa
Lyon has been dogshit. 10 @ 41.2
The last two years:
Starc: 87 @ 18.2
Hazlewood: 34 @ 20.2
Cummins: 39 @ 22.3
Boland: 41 @ 16.9
Lyon: 39 @ 29.4
Lyon is the outlier and has had his time. Cummins has had an off 2026 but was injured earlier in the year. The rest of them while off the pace from their 2025 form are all still bowling well as any.
EDIT: Sorry, they took 49 out of 50 wickets.