While watching Nathan Lyon go about his business of picking up a rich haul of wickets against New Zealand at Basin Reserve, a thought came to mind: The art of repetition. Every single delivery, Lyon spun it hard and imparted overspin. And almost every single delivery, it bounced extra from round the wicket, causing the batters enough problems.
Even when Lyon missed out on hitting a good length spot, the bounce was enough to dismiss Rachin Ravindra. Beneath the boring imitation game of repeating the same old method, one could find the greatness of Lyon.
Many moons ago, when Lyon made his Test debut in Galle, Sri Lanka, the world seemed different. Australia were frantically searching for their next Shane Warne but there seemed to be none. At that juncture, the selectors decided to trust a bowler who had worked as a groundsman at the Adelaide Oval. Yes, it was Lyon.
On a spin-friendly Galle surface, it didn’t take long for Michael Clarke to introduce the youngster into the attack. As Ricky Ponting, by then a former captain, gave a few words of advice to the youngster, Lyon’s stats flashed on the screen. It read as 14 wickets in six first-class games at an average of over 45. Two of those wickets had come in a practice game before the first Test. You mulled over whether Australia were getting too desperate while trying to find their next Warne.
It took just one ball to dispel all the doubters. Lyon’s key strengths of dip, overspin and bounce were rewarded with the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara. Yes, it was Sangakkara, one of the finest cricketers to have picked up a willow. Lyon went on to take a five-for on Test debut. A few months later, Lyon also finished with seven wickets in a home Test against New Zealand at the Gabba.
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At this moment, a casual cricket fan, who hasn’t followed much of Lyon’s career, might end up wondering – Perhaps this off-spinner was gifted with a generous portion of skills, and he didn’t have to work hard on his game. That isn’t true either.
Somewhere in 2014, Australia were touring the UAE to play Pakistan. The hosts had Zulfiqar Babar while Lyon spearheaded the Australian attack. On paper, it seemed like Lyon would comfortably outbowl his competitor but the reality turned out to be different. Babar bagged 14 wickets while Lyon ended up with a grand total of just three wickets. Babar’s methods were different from a traditional finger spinner who plied his trade in Australia. He bowled more of side-spin and enough of his wickets came via the slider.
A couple of years later, Kusal Mendis used his willow like a broom stick to repeatedly sweep Lyon. Although Lyon scalped 16 victims in that series, it came at a cost of almost 32 per wicket. Rangana Herath, the Sri Lankan mainstay, had 28 wickets at an average of 12.75. That series happened in 2016. Eight years later, Lyon has a five-for in every single country, barring the UAE. Even in the UAE, he put on a noteworthy performance in Abu Dhabi in 2018. So, how has Lyon tinkered with the nuts and bolts of his game for Asian conditions?
In 2022, before the commencement of a Test series in Sri Lanka, Lyon shared a few insights: “I still believe in spinning up the back of the ball and that’s (effective) no matter where it is,” Lyon said, “and that’s purely myself believing that my skill is good enough to perform wherever in the world. But what’s come to me on my terms – and this is purely me – is the ability and willingness to bowl ugly.
“That’s only me talking about my bowling and how I can be more effective over here. That’s something I’ll be trying to do, is look to bowl a little bit more ugly than what I’m used to. It’s different variations which don’t really work in Australia. That potentially might be round-arm, totally undercutting it, slight little wrist position (changes) – behind the ball, beside the ball, etc. That’s my way of bowling ugly.”
Over the years, Lyon has also employed the round the wicket angle to the right-handers frequently. So, what is the reasoning behind using such a tactic? During the Test series in India last year, Lyon had noted: “I know a lot of people see it as a negative. I see it as the total opposite. I think it’s very attacking, you are bringing all modes of dismissal. Times have changed when you were able to bowl over the stumps and still get guys in line.
“The good batters around the world get outside the line straight away. But when you come around the wicket with big spin, it brings in all modes of dismissal.”
The evidence for all those subtle improvements can be observed in his recent numbers: His last 111 wickets have come at a noteworthy average of 23.13. Despite that little bit of tinkering with his game while playing in different climes, Lyon’s basic template remains the same — spin the ball hard and keep it simple. And that chief weapon of his has helped him become the eighth highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. With perhaps a few more years of cricket left in him, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Lyon leapfrogs some more names in that illustrious list.
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— RevSportz (@RevSportz) March 4, 2024