I never would have thought I’d be quoting Joni Mitchell but these are desperate times, cricket lovers.
So what if it’s about the environment?
“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone”.
Garry, I’m sorry.
Things in Chennai were tough, I know. There were some good times, Sachin through the gate, Kholi to a dreadful slog.
And there were bad times. Bad times named MS Dhoni.
But he did that because he had to. It was actually a mark of respect.
Every Dhoni has his day. And the Indian captain had his in Madras.
And then it was gone. The perfect storm. Panic set in.
Looking for people to blame, the selectors overlooked a batting top-order with a combined two centuries from its last 94 Test innings. They swept a dodgy keeper under the carpet. They took the soft kill.
So Maxwell came in to replace Henriques, only he couldn’t replace Henriques because he was one of two players who actually batted well in the first Test. So Maxwell replaced Starc.
And Doherty replaced you. Would spin the ball away, they must’ve thought. Tie up an end, all that sort of stuff. India is 1/311.
My heart has grown stronger in your absence.
I know I’ve cracked jokes at your expense in the past. About the hideous exaggeration of your story, where the media would have us believe you’re some sort of cricketing Good Will Hunting, who grew up as a groundsman until under the blanket of Adelaide Oval darkness you were uncovered as some sort of skinny Tim May.
But not anymore.
Huss gave you the song to stop this very thing from happening. I should have seen the signs. He believed – John Inverarity obviously didn’t.
Mickey Arthur should save us the crap about you playing 19 consecutive Tests and needing a rest and a chance to work on some things. He should put his hands up, like the rest of us, and say what we now all know.
We need you Nathan Lyon, it just took day two in Hyderabad to realise it.
Dixie
Roar Guru
Well said Steve/tra
Dixie
Roar Guru
Lyon certainly couldn't have done worse than Doherty/Maxwell on day two. The concern now is that cleaning up a slogging tail will blinker the selectors thinking on the best squad
tra
Roar Rookie
Spot On. We don't have anyone - Lyon isn't awesome, but he is without a doubt the best we have.
stevedeanski
Roar Pro
You don't need to apologise Dixie... Inverarity, Clarke and Arthur do...
Alfred Chan
Expert
I don't think we needed Lyon yesterday. We're overreacting one one bad day of cricket. There is very little to suggest Lyon would have done better than Doherty. If they both played, they would have both been attacked because Vijay and Pujara were seeing watermelons all day. Doherty gives up less runs than Lyon but Lyon probably takes more wickets since batsmen go after him more, hence gets more wickets from bad shots than good deliveries.
Johnno
Guest
Wow what an article, I am stunned. -To make a public apology to Nathan Lyon, wow these are desperate times for Australian cricket, what have we become that we have stooped so low. -It reminded me of the 1st test vs the NZ AB's last years rugby test, in rugby's year from hell in OZ in 2012. -The start of the match all this bravado about winning the match, sound turned to despair, then smashed at half time, soon turned to just wanting to score a try, to eventually just being happy if we even won a scrum off our own feed mind you, it got hat desperate clutching at straws. Now to apoligize to Nathan Lyon a guy who, has barley been setting the world on fire, in fact he has been completely pedestrian in a very average line of spinners we now have, is really clutching at straws. I would have dropped Nathan Lyon too, but the back up we have is so ordinary, and our best spinner who may be average as well Shaun O'keefe is at home as is Hauritz, but issuing a public apology to a very average bowler like Lyon, he is no Graham Swann or even Panasar is really clutching at straws. I rate Paul Harris higher than I rate Nathan Lyon. At least Harris kept it tight, and was organised and handy in the 4th innings, Lyon bowls far to many loose deliveries like Krieza does. Some good balls but far to much loose stuff. Times are really desperate in Australian cricket if we feel the need to apologise for dropping Nathan Lyon. Say sorry when dropping stuart Mcgill , when Warney always came back, but Nathan Lyon, please clutching at straws there. Desperate times indeed. India should be saying sorry for dropping Ohja , there best spinner in the Indian series.