To fully understand what Nathan Lyon has experienced throughout his career, let’s go back to the very start.
Galle, Sri Lanka. September 2011.
In the blue corner stands Kumar Sangakkara. Quiet. Radically skilled. Battle scarred. Brutal. Cricket’s Clark Kent.
In the red corner stands a 23-year-old kid. A country lad on debut. A groundsman. An off-spinner yet to bowl in a Test match.
It’s not a fair fight. Some in the commentary box have the white towel ready to throw in.
The bell rings. The off-spinner comes around the wicket. The ball flights, grips, turns, bounces, hits the edge and is caught by the skipper at slip.
The debutant’s inaugural Test match delivery – 1, Clark Kent – 0.
Nathan Lyon went on to take five wickets in that innings, dismissing Angelo Mathews before sweeping through the tail.
Australians wouldn’t see him take a five-wicket haul on home soil until his 29th match. By then, they had made up their minds: he wasn’t very good, he couldn’t spin his side to victory.
Mike Hussey saw something in him. When Mr Cricket backs a man, it comes with gravitas. He handed over his team song duties to Lyon; a strong message given the spinner’s role in the side was far from concrete. It would be a long time before the man from country New South Wales got to lead the team in joyous vocal pomposity.
Spinners and wicketkeepers share an undeniable bond, and a former wicketkeeper gave Lyon his first big opportunity. South Australian coach Darren Berry saw Lyon play and offered him a role in the 2010-11 Redbacks Big Bash squad. Lyon was the team’s leading wicket taker in his debut season.
Now Lyon sits only four wickets behind Hugh Trumble’s record as Australia’s most successful off-spinner. That the record has stood for 110 years demonstrates how difficult it is to be a world-class off-spinner. That Lyon is only 27 years old speaks volumes of his talent.
The path for spinners in Australia since the retirement of Shane Warne has been irritating at best. Before Lyon, there was a progression of upstarts all looking to fulfil the public’s demand for a new ‘Sheik of Tweak’.
Since his debut in Galle, Lyon has seen off Ashton Agar, Xavier Doherty, Glenn Maxwell and Stephen O’Keefe. His latest challenger is a Pakistani refugee named Fawad Ahmed.
Criticism of Lyon usually labours on the fact that he brought a white-ball technique into a red-ball realm. He bowls too quickly. He is more dart than flight. He choses a defensive, round-the-wicket line.
Lyon was second on the list of wicket takers for Australia in their 2014 ODI tri-series against Zimbabwe and South Africa. Yet he was dropped for the World Cup lead-up games against India and England, and ultimately the World Cup itself.
Xavier Doherty, his replacement, played only one game and gave away 60 runs in seven overs.
There is always someone threatening to take Lyon’s spot. Like all underdogs, the public like him, however they don’t yet adore him. Even after his first Ashes five-wicket haul, during the Boxing Day Test in 2013, they were unsure.
Off-spinners aren’t sexy, especially ones with thinning tops and lacking a bent arm. Yet one senses that Lyon has moved into phase two of his Test journey.
This is the part of the show where he consistently bowls Australia to victory on Day 5. Where his place is not under threat. Where his teammates trust him.
He showed it last summer against the Indians. When he went over the wicket, he created chances. The ball would spin. Most importantly, the ball would bounce.
Lyon may turn it the wrong way for typical Australian tastes, but tastes change.
The selectors seem to allow the newer, shinier model the chance to displace him. Yet the newer, shiner model never does.
It is a common thread in Lyon’s career. Survivor. Fighter. Off-spinner.
Match winner? Time will tell.
The Bush
Roar Guru
It's also tough to win over the fans with must Aussie decks are suited to fast bowling or batting. Lyon's most likely to pull of the sort of performance that wins over fans in away series as the wickets in a lot of other areas are more suited to spinning. Having said that, he actually takes plenty of wickets at home anyway...
Don Freo
Guest
If Nathan Lyon read this article (which I'm sure all Aussie cricketers would) and saw this as a template for his career, he'd be a happy man. This is his career to a tee and he is not needed to be a match winner. He is needed to do what he is doing yet, nonetheless, he HAS won matches off his own tweeking fingers more than once.
GTW
Guest
Lyon can't help that he looks just like the guy who plays in your social cricket game every summer. His bowling is developing every year and it's getting to the stage where it's exciting to watch. Shane Warne was a one-off, so he's not a good barometer when assessing how good a bowler is. Sure, Murali got more wickets but that action of his still makes me cringe. An off spinner is the least exciting type of bowler; they're not fast and scary and the amount of turn they're able to get is usually much less than a leggie can generate. I watched Lyon this morning and he had drift, spin and a great length going for him. He's only just approaching the age where these types of bowlers come into their own; he's doing much more than just holding up an end - he isn't boring at all.
Barto
Guest
All Lyon needs is an attitude change and I feel he could finally change the perception of him from the fans. You look at other bowlers who are revered by the public, such as Warne, Johnson, Mcgrath, Harris, Gillespie - they all had that aggressive in your face attitude, the self confidence to look like they could do anything. From a figures standpoint Lyon's record is quite good, all that is missing is that fire in his performances to make him stand out. Too often he looks timid at the crease. Its all about appearances.
The Bush
Roar Guru
One of the Experts did an article a while back that set out how he could easily take up to 400 wickets if he keeps his place and takes the same number of wickets - as a spinner there's no reason he can't play into his late 30s.
The Bush
Roar Guru
There's another spinner in Warnie's class other than Australia's favourite whipping boy Murali?
13th Man
Guest
He is still Australias best spinner. He is no Shane Warne but he doesn't need to be. He is a support bowler for the quicks. people need to accept that we will never have another spinner as good as Warne. Just be thankful we have Lyon.
mattyb
Guest
And it should really stop.
David
Guest
Nathan Lyon is a hard worker who has improved enormously. The selectors and public need to show their confidence in him and he can became a 300 wicket taker in tests. Should have been included in World Cup squad as well. Times has come to back Nathan Lyon in all three formats
David
Guest
Nathan Lyon is a hard working player who deserves the backing of the selectors and public alike. He is a300 wicket taking bowler in tests
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
By that I am meaning he isn't a match winner.
Quitwhinging
Guest
You're asking a lot for a country that had Warne and MacGill for about 15 years. But I agree, the public have to change their expectations
Quitwhinging
Guest
Herath is, he's the only out and out matchwinner. Sri Lanka will be lost when he goes and he's already in his mid to late 30s
Dennis Freedman
Roar Guru
He'll take more than 250 wickets. It will be closer to 350
matth
Guest
At only 27 when offspinners traditionally bloom late Lyon could go onto to take 250+ wickets. I'll take that career thank you very much.
matth
Guest
And you have describe all but maybe 5 or 6 spinners in the history of world cricket
Sideline Comm.
Guest
I know, Dennis, all good. Like I said, a good article all in all. Not the first times the editors have got their man with a provocative (and misleading) title.
Dennis Freedman
Roar Guru
I didn't write the title.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
When the Australian public adjusts it's attitude that our spinner bowler doesn't have to be a match winner, is when Nathan Lyon will truly be accepted in the National Set Up! Nathan Lyon is not Shane Warne and his team don't expect him to be. They expect him to play his role and provide supporter for our Match Winners in Mitch Johnson & Ryan Harris.
Damo
Guest
Good article, I too was firing up when I read the title but I guess I got sucked into the clickbait. Anyway - I think people are very blinkered from a generation that saw possibly the two greatest spinners the cricket world will ever see in Warne and Murali. We therefore expect to see superstar match winning spinners everywhere. We may still see some spinners in the future that rival these two greats but the history of cricket suggests that the art of spin is almost impossible to conquer. Lyon is a very good spinner. He is economical (underated stat in tests), breaks partnerships and can ripped through a tail. Is he an out and out matchwinner? No but I can't name one current spinner that is.