‘Horses for courses’ has been the catch-cry of the Australian selectors since the humiliating Test whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka.
Much of the focus has fallen on the shambolic batting efforts from that series, with many batsmen now having questions against their names for future Asian tours.
The irony within this is the skewing of reputations.
Two stand out in Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns, with their struggles in Sri Lanka curiously having questions raised about their places in the Australian team at home. This is despite the pair having a combined batting average of 113.07 with five centuries in their 15 home Tests.
Away from the batsmen, the poster child of this is Nathan Lyon.
After another tour of struggle and frustration in Asia, many are rethinking Lyon’s place in the line-up at home.
This is a farcical overreaction underlining the misunderstanding of Lyon as a player.
The off-spinner is the quintessential co-star of the main cast.
When playing at home, or in other situations that suit, he is very able. He becomes free of the burden of having to lead an attack and is seen as a valuable contributor, who is not pivotal to the team’s success. He is deadly as a virtual auxiliary bowler who is facilitated by the pressure and duress imposed on batsmen by Australia’s excellent cast of fast bowlers.
In Asia, when expected to lead the attack, he is exposed as severely lacking. The key is the lack of craft, guile, and pragmatism in his bowling. He is so resistant and incapable of adapting to another style from the one that is so successful in Australia.
His relentless off-stump line with heavy overspin is ideally suited to Australian conditions where there is a predominant lack of spin, but useful bounce. In Asia, where the conditions are largely dead and often spinning, it renders him both ineffectual as well as expensive, as the ball is easy to sweep and he frequently drifts onto batsmen’s pads.
His subcontinent figures – averaging 42.57, with an economy rate of 3.67 – support this.
It was damning in the recent tour when the real acid came on him after the second Test. Rather than modify his style to better suit, instead, he resorted to firing in 95km/h darts to limit the scoring. It mostly achieved this end but in the process represented a white flag of surrender to the batsmen with his wicket-taking threat gone.
If selectors are steadfast in their new creed, the question needs to be asked if Lyon should be selected to tour Asia again, or saved for conditions better suited?
The instant response is he must, due to being the best spinner in Australia with few other viable Test candidates. It’s a flawed mindset, buying into the hope that Lyon will finally figure it out, all the while conceding that he will more than likely remain an easily exploitable weakness.
A better ploy would be to rely more on the improving Aussie pacemen in Asian conditions supported by Steve O’Keefe’s left arm spin and the vastly underrated part-time leg spin of Steve Smith.
As for Lyon, spare him of further subcontinent torments, while having him first selected in situations that suit.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
Agree completely, he is very easily rattled and oppositions know this. You touch on the pivotal figure of Smith and his need to be Lyon's nurse maid and keep him on track. For when he does get it right, he is a very able and dangerous entity
Matthew H
Guest
Lyon has always seemed to me to be a bowler who needs constant supervision and constructive criticism to keep him on plan. When he bowls a little slower (80s) he gets consistent drift bounce and spin. To me that is when he really looks dangerous. It seems he is knocked into bowling 90-100 and flatter with less drift bounce and spin very easily. I think oppositions have worked this out and it's currently up to Smith to reign him in, make sure he knows wickets are more important than runs against and just support him when teams get after him early to try and shake him up.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
Australia needs to play to their strengths which is pace. Use SOK in an almost cynical way, like England did with Giles in India. Have him tie up an end and attack with pace at the other. With the Aussie quicks getting a better grasp of reverse swing , i think it is its best, and only chance if they play Lyon and rely on him, he will not only get milked or flayed but with it the effectiveness of the rest of the attack is neutered with the absence of crucial bowling partnerships to build pressure not existing
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Agreed. Take three spinners, but with an eye to only playing one. Playing two or more spinners works for Asian teams in Asia, as they know how to use conditions and are often hosting sides who do not know how to play good spin in spin-favourable conditions. Asian batsmen face that at home all the time. With Smith and probably Voges to provide part time relief, there isn't a need for two front line spinners in the side.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
I'm not sold on the idea that it is his role to lead the attack because of the conditions. It is the role of the most effective bowler to lead the attack. That is still likely to be Starc or Pattinson (if fit by then) because we don't have a spinner who appears capable be any more effective than those two, even in favourable spin conditions. If not Lyon, then who? O'Keefe has many of the same issues. He's not much of a side-spinner who often bowls flat, but has the Shield record. He's clearly the second spinner picked for the tour, at this stage with a Shield season still to go. Zampa or Boyce? Can't see them being much chop in long form cricket. Fawad Ahmed might be a chance. Agar? no, but might get the mythical all-rounder spot at #6 ahead of Glenn Maxwell unless the latter grows a brain. Doherty? Specialist containing one day bowler for Australian conditions only, not even required in that role any more the next WC is not at home.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
The real appeal of Ashwin is he has real 'man size plumbs' indians in the past have had a reputation of being flakey and weak in the mind but he is tough as teak He would be a very good Captain
matth
Guest
I think Hazlewood is a lock
matth
Guest
Well you can appreciate a good cricketer when you see one...as long as he is not Australian
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
In Asia, which i am referring too, i think it is wholly fair to accuse Lyon of failing to adapt
JamesH
Roar Guru
I think it's a little harsh to say that Lyon can't adapt at all. He just hasn't been able to do it across different types of surfaces. His bowling in Australia has certainly changed for the better in recent years, having slowed down his pace slightly and adjusted his stock line. Adapting to different surfaces is something very few bowlers in the world have been able to do. Even Ashwin, regarded as the world's best finger spinner, was all at sea in his last two tours of Australia. By the time a player reaches international level they can generally only afford to make minor adjustments to their bowling action or stock delivery. Boyce will get a decent run for Tassie this season so hopefully he can build up some form and confidence.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
I second that. There are a few trolls here like in any community but David isn't one. I have found his contributions to be fair, slanted to Poms for obvious reasons, but fair.
David a Pom
Guest
I'm no troll, Ronan. My opinions often contradict those of others on this site, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good cricketer when I see one.
armchair expert
Guest
Yes Tim, the reverse swing seems to work for Stokes in Bangladesh.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
It is all about being able to adapt, Lyon lacks this and shows an inability to learn. The same issues he struggled withn against Pakistan a few years back were still there against SL. No attempt was made to learn from his failings which is already a damning indictment> As for Zampa/Boyce: I am a huge Boyce fan and after his efforts in a shield final in 2010 thought he would make it. I used to write for a Sri Lankan publication and many of the contacts i made there raved about Boyce when he played a season there in their comp. He has disappointed, but is still very young. Agree with your thoughts on Lyon/SOK
JamesH
Roar Guru
I think Lyon should just play in every test outside the subcontinent (and maybe WI), with O'Keefe leading the spin attack in Asia. I'd also love to see some of our younger spinners like Boyce and Zampa get more exposure in India through 'A' tours or development squads. Despite having underwhelming first class averages in Australia I think they are both suited to Asian conditions where they could skid the ball through and get variable turn. Ashwin was useless in Australia but is the best spinner in the world on slower pitches. Our selectors need to understand that being a decent spinner in Australia doesn't mean you can bowl well on spinning decks.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
A troll criticising...trolls.
David a Pom
Guest
I'm not even Indian (clearly) and even I get frustrated over trolls dismissing Ashwin like that. He's a terrific cricketer and still learning his craft - think its important to remember that offspinner tend to peak a lot later. Look at herath, and I can assure you Ashwin is miles ahead of him.
jeremy h
Guest
sruce moose you're kidding yourself - right now, Ashwin is the #1 test cricketer. It's hardly arguable. In the last 2 years he's averaged 24 away from home; you're bringing up tours when he was still a work in progress. Yes, admittedly he does have to prove himself in ENG/AUS/SA, but if you've bothered to watch him recently, you'll find the chances are pretty high he starts doing that next time round.
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
i think Ashwin is very emulating Kumble's career path. Where they both were viewed as home track bullies in the early parts of career, even in India. Kumble proved how complete and effective he was everywhere and this is now Ashwin's challenge. The two are very similar in their temperaments, both tough as teak and so resilient which is a very good quality to have
Tim Holt
Roar Guru
Thank you for the kind words Ronan