Since the retirement of Shane Warne, Australia has hammered through the first class ranks of domestic cricket to find his replacement.
Spinner after spinner was tried, some given multiple Tests to prove their worth, and some only given the solitary chance.
Finally, Australia has settled with the off-spin of Nathan Lyon. And he could be Australia’s best off-spinner yet.
Not since the days of Ashley Mallett have we seen an off-spin bowler as talented as Nathan Lyon.
Affectionately known to his teammates as ‘Gaz’ (after the Melbourne AFL footballer, Garry Lyon), his flight, spin and guile have proven Lyon to be a worthy member of the Australian XI.
He’s a handy tool in Michael Clarke’s pocket, contributing well to the pace attack of Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris and company.
Ever since Lyon’s debut in Galle, Sri Lanka, where he caught the prized scalp of Kumar Sangakarra with his first ball in Test cricket, Lyon has shown to the cricketing world his promise as a spin bowler.
But it really is not his spin, nor his flight, or even really his ability that impresses Lyon’s peers. It is the sheer and utter determination that Lyon shows, his grit and willingness to fight, that is reminiscent of the great leg-spinner himself, Shane Warne.
Time and again Lyon has been dropped from the Australian team, being told that he leaks too many runs, or he doesn’t take enough wickets, or that he simply is not needed. And time and again Lyon has shown persistence and resilience, pushing himself back into the Australian team and making sure he is a force to be reckoned with.
Ever the underrated bowler, Lyon has simply not been properly appreciated by the Australian public.
Australians alike have all yearned for the likes of Shane Warne to come back, a bowler with the determination, wits and ability to take 700 Test wickets.
That is one reason of many as to why most of the spinners that Australia tried have fallen to the pressure of following Warne. Lyon seems to be different though.
Like most spin bowlers he was almost thrown aside, falling to the pressure of replacing the greatest spinner ever. Unlike all the rest, however, Lyon’s attitude has helped him hold his Test place and survive the unrealistic expectations of trying to replace Warne.
Instead of becoming the world’s best off-spinner, he become a valuable Test cricketer.
Lyon does not do an extraordinary amount with the ball, and has been smashed out of the ground a number of times. But it is his simple yearning to fight, and his grim persistence and determination that has led him to becoming the most successful spin bowler that Australia has produced since Warne.
After losing his place in the Australian XI during the now infamous tour of India in 2013, he managed to force his way back into the Test side, past the spinning crop of Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell. He picked up career best figures of 7-94 and proved his worth on the turning dustbowls of the sub-continent.
Once again being dropped in the Ashes tour of England for the younger, more exciting prospect of Ashton Agar, he returned to take nine wickets in the remaining three Test matches, including match figures of 7-97 at Chester-le-Street.
Lyon has kept coming back, forcing his way into the Australian squad, and has proven himself a valued member of the Australian team, taking 19 wickets in the Australian summer against the English and eight wickets over in South Africa.
Lyon is never going to become Shane Warne, and he is not going to consistently bowl out attacks. As soon as the Australian selectors and the Australian cricketing society accepted that, Lyon was able to relax and play his role for Australia. He’s picked up two to three wickets per innings while the Johnson and Harris show has wreaked havoc,
Lyon now has 33 Tests under his belt, with 112 wickets at an average at just a tick over 32. These numbers are phenomenal for an Australian spin-bowler, and expect Lyon to lower that average and increase his wicket numbers by a large amount.
Lyon may be the best off-spin bowler Australia has ever produced, and could easily take over 250 Test wickets.
His recent performances during the tri-series against the Zimbabweans and the Proteas show this, as his constant wicket taking in the ODI format will see him to play a pivotal role in the upcoming ICC World Cup.
As the glory days of fast bowling makes its return to the Test arena in Australia through Mitchell Johnson, spin bowlers like Nathan Lyon will have to take a back seat. This does not mean, however, that Lyon will not play an important role.
He can show all spinners around the world that you don’t need to bowl oppositions out to be a strong spin bowler. As Lyon reaches the peak of his career, he is soon going to show the cricketing world how good he really is.
He may not be as good as Warne. But he could be the next best thing for Australian cricket, and the best off-spinner we have ever produced.
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