Nathan Lyon on track for Test recall

By Justin Chadwick, 16 Jan 2012 Justin Chadwick is a Roar Pro

Tagged:: Adelaide Test, Cricket, Indian cricket, Nathan Lyon

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Australian spinner Nathan Lyon is set to earn a swift Test recall after skipper Michael Clarke endorsed the tweaker for the fourth Test against India in Adelaide, starting on January 24.

Australia’s four-pronged pace attack worked well in Perth as the home side crushed India by an innings and 37 runs.

But Clarke said he was keen to have Lyon back in the side on an Adelaide Oval pitch that is expected to offer far more assistance to spinners than the WACA Ground.

Left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc is expected to be the unlucky bowler to miss out.

“I think Nathan Lyon will certainly come back into the team given conditions in Adelaide are generally flatter and spin a lot more than what we’ve seen here in Perth,” Clarke said.

“But I need to assess those when I get there.”

Clarke said Australia’s win in Perth, which was achieved in less than two-and-a-half days, plus an early finish to the Sydney Test meant the squad would be fresh for Adelaide.

“I honestly believe that’s saved a few of us to be honest,” Clarke said.

“The distance the Test matches have gone gives you an extra day, in this case a few days off.

“So with a good week before we get to Adelaide, I’d imagine they’d be very fresh again and looking forward to the Test match.”

Even though Australia lead the four-match series 3-0, Clarke promised his team would go full-throttle in Adelaide.

“No such thing as a dead rubber for me,” Clarke said.

“We haven’t achieved much at this stage.

“We should be very proud, don’t get me wrong, to beat the No.2 ranked Test team in this series.

“But we’ve got a lot of work to do before we’ll be satisfied. In Adelaide, you’ll see that.”

The Crowd Says (39) | Page 1 of Comments

January 16th 2012 @ 9:30am
Brett McKay said | January 16th 2012 @ 9:30am | Report comment

might they contemplate spelling Siddle, given that he’s played all five Tests, and will play the ODI series too??

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- January 16th 2012 @ 9:39am
  The Bush said | January 16th 2012 @ 9:39am | Report comment
  
  Wouldn’t be a bad idea Brett. Harris needs the overs to get back to full fitness and Starc bowled much better this Test than he did against New Zealand and also wouldn’t mind getting a longer run.
  
  Then again, if both Cummins and Pattinson are fit for the West Indies, perhaps Sids can take some time off then?
  
  Reply
- January 16th 2012 @ 10:51am
  Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 10:51am | Report comment
  
  I’d probably leave Starc out. He’s still not consistent enough for test cricket and the Adelaide conditions won’t help him too much. I’d play him through the ODI and T20 series though.
  
  Will Siddle and/or Hilfenhaus play in the ODI series? Both have poor records in the format, averaging almost 40 with the ball, though I guess many of us said similar things about their test records before this summer!
  
  I’d rest them both during the T20/ODI series (give them a shield match or two each to keep their match fitness up) and use the T20/ODI series to blood bowlers like Starc, Faulkner, McDermott along with bringing Lee back in and give Cummins/Pattinson some games if they’re fit by then.
  
  Reply
  - January 16th 2012 @ 11:04am
    jameswm said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:04am | Report comment
    
    Good call Matt – I can live with leaving Starc out and playing him through the ODI series, and playing Sid and Hilfy in the 4th test and resting them from the ODI series.
    
    Hilfy is an ordinary ODI bowler and Siddle not great either.
    
    Reply
  - January 16th 2012 @ 2:27pm
    Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 2:27pm | Report comment
    
    I guess the likes of Cutting, Bollinger and Hastings are injured. Hazelwood might get a look in, McKay even.
    
    Reply
    - January 16th 2012 @ 4:11pm
      Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
      
      Hazelwood’s injured as well. Cutting must be close to a return though?
      
      Reply
    - January 16th 2012 @ 7:41pm
      Brett McKay said | January 16th 2012 @ 7:41pm | Report comment
      
      I presume you mean Clint, not Brett, Disco…
      
      Reply
January 16th 2012 @ 9:43am
Chris said | January 16th 2012 @ 9:43am | Report comment

You’d have to wonder about Marsh getting picked – he’s clearly in horrendous form. About time the selectors admit they made a mistake and put Khawaja back – he was scoring a lot more that Marsh has been this summer!

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- January 16th 2012 @ 10:03am
  Red Kev said | January 16th 2012 @ 10:03am | Report comment
  
  Not with Adelaide being a flat track they won’t; they will give their favourite boy a chance, not the unfashionable Khawaja.
  No matter how right your post is.
  
  Reply
- January 16th 2012 @ 10:55am
  Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 10:55am | Report comment
  
  They won’t change a winning team. The only player they would consider bringing into that batting line-up is Watson so they’ll stick with the top 7 for now and put Watson back in for WI tour at Marsh’s expense.
  
  Reply
  - January 16th 2012 @ 11:00am
    jameswm said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:00am | Report comment
    
    But who will bat 3? Ponting or Watson?
    
    I think Ponting has to bat there with Watson at 6.
    
    Reply
    - January 16th 2012 @ 11:20am
      Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:20am | Report comment
      
      Assuming that Marsh will be the one to drop out it would have to be Ponting at 3 with Watson at 4 or 6.
      
      Personally my order would be; Cowan, Warner, Ponting, Hussey, Clarke, Watson
      
      There’s no point in moving Watson down the order but then playing him at 3 as he has to be ready to go out straight away anyway.
      
      Besides, Watson’s inability to turn 50′s into 100′s won’t be as much of an issue if he bats at 6.
      
      Reply
  - January 16th 2012 @ 11:21am
    Red Kev said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:21am | Report comment
    
    I submitted another article about how changing a winning team was smart selection policy (actually I submitted it before the one about Shaun Marsh that went up today) but it obviously didn’t make the cut for posting. Long story short, “winning hides all sins” as Kim Hughes put it but as a full time paid selector John Inverarity has to be smarter than that.
    
    Reply
    - January 16th 2012 @ 11:47am
      Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:47am | Report comment
      
      The team performance is all that matters at the end of the day. If you have a player who has produced before (i.e. built up some credit) and who you believe will produce again, you will naturally give them some time to get it together again. If the team is also still winning then you can give even more time as it’s not hurting the team. The question is, as always, “how long is too long?”
      
      Khawaja was a victim of a) not having built up enough credits (i.e. no massive scores) and b) the team playing poorly.
      
      Marsh hasn’t built up enough credits to guarantee a long-term future, but the hundred in SL was enough to get him back in the team for India, and whilst we’re winning so easily he’ll get Adelaide. Barring a big score there though, Watson, who has built up significant credit over the last 2 years, will replace him in the WIndies (fitness depending of course.) If we had lost two of either Melbourne, Sydney or Perth then naturally Marsh would have been under more pressure and would have been dropped.
      
      Reply
      - January 16th 2012 @ 2:32pm
        Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
        
        Not sure he would’ve been dropped even in that case such is the esteem with which he seems to be held. The selectors have form retaining continually struggling players after multiple losses; Ponting, Hughes, Johnson, Smith and Haddin spring to mind.
        
        Reply
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 3:02pm
        Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 3:02pm | Report comment
        
        Pontings record was always going to give him an unbelievably long time to find his form. Hussey got ages before the last Ashes series as well. If you’re a player who’s had a long-term succesful career you will get a long-time to find form. It’s the way it’s always been.
        
        Hughes was on the chopping block in SL before making that hundred, then the 88 in SA. Hell Marcus North survived for ages by doing nothing for a few tests and pulling out a hundred when his neck was on the line.
        
        No argument with Johnson. He was always given too long. The Perth Ashes test gave him longer then he should have had, though again, the start of his career was always going to give him a fair bit of time to find form.
        
        Smith was picked for 2 tests, dropped, then picked for 3 more tests and dropped, very much like Khawaja was. Hardly an extended run in the team. For what it’s worth his test batting average is only .44 below Khawaja’s. His last innings before he got dropped was 54* I’m not sure how many players (especially batsmen) have been dropped after scoring an unbeaten 50 in their last innings…..
        
        Haddin has probably been saved because the next annointed one, Paine, is injured. Also his half century in the 2nd test at the Wanderers helped. Again though, up until recently, he was a keeper averaging over 40 in test cricket. In the last Ashes he averaged 45. Haddin, Watson and Hussey were our only players to average over 30 in that series.
        
        Keep in mind that for Marsh we’re talking 3 bad tests. It’s the same as Smith and Khawaja got however Marsh with the only difference being that marsh is lucky enough to be in a winning team. Having said all that he has only averaged an astonishing 3.50 this series!
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 3:37pm
        Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 3:37pm | Report comment
        
        All that’s true, but my point was really that the those players I mentioned survived multiple Test losses and I fear that Marsh – judging by Uncle Arthur’s comments – has been penciled in for a run in the side regardless of his form and results.
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 4:00pm
        Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 4:00pm | Report comment
        
        Ordinarilly you’d probably be right, especially with little no Shield matches right now, but the eventual return of Watson makes it harder for him. Someone will have to make way for Watson in the WIndies and Cowan seems to have impressed the important people. Clarke was full of prasie for him in the post-match press conference. It will take a big score from Marsh in Adelaide to put him ahead of the others I’dimagine.
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 4:36pm
        jameswm said | January 16th 2012 @ 4:36pm | Report comment
        
        Yep – unless Marsh bats very well in Adelaide, and the openers don’t, Watson will come in for Marsh. Hopefully Ponting to 3 so Watson can bwol (and bat at 6). They won’t drop Warner, and if Cowan scores a hundred (he hasn’t yet), he’s safe for a while.
        
        As I also said – if Haddin does bugger all and Wade or Nevill has a storming 2nd half of the Shield season, look for one of them to come in.
        
        My tip (and I’d get decent odds) is for P Nevill to be the Australian keeper for the Windies tour. I think he’s a better gloveman than Wade, and he’s certainly a better batsman on numbers. I’ve seen the kid bat in person, and he’s very impressive.
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 6:31pm
        Red Kev said | January 16th 2012 @ 6:31pm | Report comment
        
        Although I agree with jameswm regarding what will happen; it is very interesting to note the ages of Australia’s new rejuvenated batting lineup – 25, 29, 30, 37, 30, 36. Compare to the bowlers.
        The selectors need to stop dithering on Ponting and get another sub-30-year-old in there.
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 7:34pm
        Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 7:34pm | Report comment
        
        You’ve just explained why Ponting’s continued presence is problematic.
        
        On Nevill; he’s certainly done more than what Healy had done before he replaced Greg Dyer.
  - January 16th 2012 @ 2:28pm
    Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 2:28pm | Report comment
    
    Meanwhile, New Zealand haven’t shown any such reluctance in changing a winning team with Reece Young dropped for their Test against Zimbabwe. He’s not the only under-performing ‘keeper-batsman I can think of…
    
    Reply
January 16th 2012 @ 9:47am
jameswm said | January 16th 2012 @ 9:47am | Report comment

Hilfy’s state coach said he’s about due for a rest.

I think Starc (and Harris) will play and they’ll rest Sid or Hilfy. I’d rather that than have one of them break down.

Still – I don’t like the idea of resting a bowler from a test because of the ODI series coming up. Don’t like that at all. If there’s a choice between the two, play the test and rest (including strength and conditioning regeneration) for 2-3 ODIs.

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- January 16th 2012 @ 10:01am
  Red Kev said | January 16th 2012 @ 10:01am | Report comment
  
  I forgot Hilfenhaus’ coach had said that, I was excpecting Siddle to be rested after 7 tests in 10 weeks but Hilfenhaus might be a better call. I would like to see Starc on less bowler-friendly pitch.
  
  Reply
  - January 16th 2012 @ 10:48am
    TomC said | January 16th 2012 @ 10:48am | Report comment
    
    Yeah, I reckon Starc might have a bit of a tough time of it, if he plays in Adelaide. He’s really only had one particularly good spell in six innings of test cricket this summer.
    
    Plenty of potential there, though. You can understand why the selectors are keen to persist with him eighteen months before the Ashes.
    
    Reply
    - January 16th 2012 @ 10:52am
      Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 10:52am | Report comment
      
      Starc still doesn’t look ready to me. I’d drop him for Adelaide but tell him that he’ll be picked for the T20 and ODI series (both of which he is very good at.)
      
      Reply
    - January 16th 2012 @ 10:58am
      jameswm said | January 16th 2012 @ 10:58am | Report comment
      
      Geez guys Starc bowled awfully well in the Perth test on what I saw. Not much tripe at all, esp conpared to the other Mitchell.
      
      Surely he is worth persisting with and this is the obvious test to give Sid or Hilfy a rest.
      
      Interesting though – wht’s the current pecking order if they’re all fit? I was thinking:
      Pattinson
      Harris
      Cummins
      Siddle
      Hilfy
      Starc
      Cutting
      Johnson
      Faulkner
      
      Amazing Hilfy can be 5th after the series he’s had.
      
      And I am truly hoping that in 5 years’ time, we are all still keen on watching Pattinson and Cummins open together, and they are forming one of the greatest opening bowling combos we’ve seen. Sid, Hilfy to do the grunt work, and hopefully Lyon a matured spinner.
      
      I thought Clarke’s one error was not giving Harris a go from the other end in the first innings – the end that helped outies. It showed what a tremendous bowler Harris is that he just swung them the other way instead. He was also a little bit rusty on line and length, but will improve with the extra bowling, if that same extra bowling doesn’t break him down.
      
      Reply
      - January 16th 2012 @ 11:17am
        TomC said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:17am | Report comment
        
        I think Hilfenhaus might be a little higher on the pecking order than that, or at least he should be with the Ashes coming up.
        
        He was the best bowler from either team in Australia’s last English tour. He is the one bowler on that list who is just as suited to English as Australian wickets. He should certainly be selected ahead of Cummins, Siddle or Harris on that tour.
        
        Reply
      - January 16th 2012 @ 11:29am
        Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:29am | Report comment
        
        Hilfy would be higher then that given his performance this summer. he’s probably ahead of Cummins simply because Cummins probably doesn’t have the developed obdy yet for back to back to back trsts whereas Hilfy is reliable fitness wise. Probably even Harris as well due to injury concerns.
        
        The thing with Starc is that he bowls lots of good bowls but too many bad balls. On a pitch that doesn’t offer much for the quicks, the batsmen will be able to pick off his bad balls and leave his good ones alone as they’ve already got enough runs. Whereas in ODI/T20 they’ll have to attack his good balls as well. he probably lacks a decent stock ball as well which is vital in test cricket. He’s got great potential, and will be ready soon, but there’s probably other quicks who are ahead of him right now. I have no issue with playing him in the two shorter formats.
        
        Reply
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 11:54am
        jameswm said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:54am | Report comment
        
        I also think with Starc – and the same for Hilfy – when the ball’s new and moving, they can’t have every ball swinging or swinging the same amount. Starc needs the straighter ones to make the batsmen play at the ones which slide across the right-hander and don’t come back.
        
        That’s why Johnson needed to bring the ball back – so they played at his meaningless ones slanting across.
        
        And Hilfy needs to bring the Terry Alderman LBW element into his game. Some straight ones early, rather than just hooping it around, would mean that the opposition batsman will nibble more at his stock ball.
        
        I constantly think this when he’s bowling, and can’t believe it isn’t something they’ve worked on. The odd straighter fuller quicker one brings in LBW and gives him more chance of finding edges on the ones that do swing. Either hold it across the seam, or bowl with a slightly higher arm with the different wrist position.
      - January 16th 2012 @ 2:34pm
        Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
        
        I thought Starc was impressive in Perth.
        
        Reply
      - January 16th 2012 @ 2:35pm
        Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 2:35pm | Report comment
        
        I wonder where Copeland fits into that mix? He played all three Tests the only time Australia won an away Test series in the last 18 months.
        
        Reply
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 3:05pm
        Matt F said | January 16th 2012 @ 3:05pm | Report comment
        
        The slectors have concerns about the penetration that he gets given his pace. His record before SL would indicate that they’re wrong, but he has really struggled for wickets this Shield season. He’s not going for many runs but the wickets aren’t flowing either. He’s only taken 2 wickets in his 5 Shield innings since he was dropped.
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 4:30pm
        jameswm said | January 16th 2012 @ 4:30pm | Report comment
        
        Forgot about Copeland. I’d put him on a par with Cutting.
        
        Chris, Faulkner still has a bit of proving to do, and Johnson does have some good test performances to fall back on. It’s not like Johnson’s suddenly the 20th best bowler in the country.
        
        I’d have no prpblem with the bloke (Johnson) coming back and proving everyone wrong, with a swag of Shield wickets and consistent performances. I just don’t think he has it in him. He’s had enough opportunities, why should he change now.
        
        And given Billy the Kid’s limited grey matter, I find it hard to believe he is solely responsible for the improvement in Sid and Hilfy. Hilfy did a lot of work with his state coach (de Winter I think) in the off season and has got fit, and Siddle actually bowled quite well last summer. He’s fit and aggressive and consistent, he only needed a bit of tweaking and pressure put on at the other end.
        
        I’ve got to say though I’ve been pleasantly surprised with what I’ve seen from our bowlers and heard from Billy. There is still significant room for improvement in all our quicks though. They only need me as a once-a-month consultant – I won’t charge too much.
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 7:53pm
        Disco said | January 16th 2012 @ 7:53pm | Report comment
        
        According to some, McDermott is a miracle worker who can fix up Johnson’s dreadful action and aid him to bowl consistently as others bowlers can.
      - January 16th 2012 @ 4:07pm
        Chris said | January 16th 2012 @ 4:07pm | Report comment
        
        James – how crap is Faulkner if you put him below Johnson?
        
        Reply
        
        January 16th 2012 @ 7:29pm
        jamesb said | January 16th 2012 @ 7:29pm | Report comment
        
        Chris
        
        Faulkners trying to be an alrounder.
        
        ATM in 20 odd matches he averages 24 with the ball and just under 30 with the bat.
- January 16th 2012 @ 11:11am
  Brett McKay said | January 16th 2012 @ 11:11am | Report comment
  
  James, Ali de Winter also mentioned that Adelaide’s a ground not suited to The Hilf too, so it will be interesting to see what they do. Both Siddle and Hilefnhaus probably deserve a rest, but whether either of them want one is another matter. As you say, they could both sit out the ODIs if need be..
  
  Reply
  - January 16th 2012 @ 9:08pm
    Jason said | January 16th 2012 @ 9:08pm | Report comment
    
    This whole resting bowlers is a bit of a worry. Imagine telling a Lillee or McGrath that they were told to sit out a test match in order to be fit for the one dayers. And why would you want to rest bowlers in obviously career best form?
    
    If Hilf or Siddle are rested, I hope we hear stories about how they stormed out of the meeting in a murderous rage.
    
    Reply