AUS vs WI | Twitter in splits as Windies show Aussies how to tamper 'balls' without sandpaper

West Indies found themselves with an unexpected chance of securing a first Test victory Down Under in over two decades in the final Test of the 2023/24 Australian summer by clinching a first innings lead of 22 runs. Even though the hosts fought back valiantly by scalping wickets at regular intervals thereon, the Caribbean's desire for victory was unrelenting and things truly came to a head when the visitors came up with an unusual strategy to keep Nathan Lyon at bay.

Alick Athanaze was the first to employ the latest technique in Lyon's first spell of the technique after the off-spinner landed a ball on length that turned back a hint and was going down leg. Instead of playing the Kookaburra off his hips, the right-hander moved across and parried the ball away with his abdomen but remained unfazed despite the evidently painful blow. Compatriot Kavem Hodge wasn't as skilled in keeping a poker face though as an eerily similar attempt a few overs later saw the ball thump right into his abdomen ground and the batter immediately crouched down in agony with the mincing expression on his face telling the whole story.

Unsurprisingly, Twitterati had a field day with their puns to add salt to the Windies' injuries.

The greatest defence ever witnessed!

Maybe there are THREE types of leaves:



The good, the bad and this one 💀  

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) 

The amount of risk he took!

"That is a very interesting way of deflecting a ball" 

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) 

He risked it all

Athanaze tried the cricket version of dodgeball, risking his lineage in the process!  

— Maheen Khan (@bcom2_) 

LOL

Athanaze be like:

Maut ko chhu kar tak se bahar nikal gaya    

— Shubbu (@Shubham45833644) 

Things got real

Aji Mera L*nd Kre Batting Got Real.



Athanaze vs Lyon. Boom Boom Bumrah Duckett Jeo Root                

— 𝔸𝕟𝕟𝕠𝕪𝕖𝕕 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕖 (@meMeraj_) 

Note it down

Remember the name Athanaze



Only batsman to play with two bats 

— 𝘿  (@DilipVK18) 

CA please do the needfull

It's ball tempering. Arrest him 😂

— Sports Chronicle (@sportschr0nicle) 

Never ever

At this rate, Australia never going to escape the ball tampering saga 

— Vinod (@vnodkumar19) 

True

Well, that's the most risky defence in the history of mankind 💀

— Aashish Kumar (@aa_xhixh) 

Good question

Deflecting which ball, is the question.

— Pablo Chaterji (@pablochaterji)