Nathan Lyon is a walking dichotomy. He is currently experiencing a level of adoration from the fans like never before in his 62-Test career.
Yet, at the same time, he no longer deserves his place in the side.
Unless he can conjure something special in the last two days at Melbourne he should not be in the XI for the final Test of the series at the SCG.
It has been a summer of discontent for the man who carries the sobriquet of GOAT – Greatest of All-Time – as a result of being Australia’s leading finger spinning wicket-taker.
Half way through his fifth Test of the summer he has captured nine wickets at an average of 66.7.
His performance in Pakistan’s first innings was one of his worst showings this year.
After sending the crowd into raptures when he claimed the first wicket of the match halfway through his opening over, he finished the innings with figures of 1-115 from 23 overs.
The delivery that claimed Sami Aslam was a beauty – drifting in the to the left-hander, dropping on a length and spinning away with appreciable bounce.
When his skipper, Steve Smith snapped up the catch at slip he would have been contemplating a productive innings from his right-arm tweaker.
Alas, that delivery provided Lyon with his only highlight of the innings.
He produced only one maiden in his 23 overs and went for exactly five runs per over, including being struck for five sixes, four of which were off the bat of number ten, Sohail Khan.
While this was his worst economy rate of the season it simply continued what has been a worrying trend.
His inability to bowl tight spells is clearly causing problems for Smith.
Too often this summer Lyon has been guilty of attacking the stumps which has resulted in him being worked with ease into gaps on the leg side.
Rather than pitching the ball considerably outside off to the right-handers and working it back in, he has landed fractionally outside off and been turned with relative impunity onto the on-side.
It has resulted in the batsmen rarely having to look for runs by hitting against the spin into the offside.
He appeared to have adjusted his line for periods in the final Test against South Africa at Adelaide but he has failed to back that up against Pakistan.
Lyon was a line ball selection for the historic day-night series opener at the Gabba.
Smith admitted that the call to select Lyon over uncapped paceman Chadd Sayers went right down to the wire.
Part of the reasoning behind the offie holding his place in the line-up would have been his track record at Brisbane.
His five previous appearances at the Gabba had produced 24 wickets at 24.0, making it his most productive Test venue.
Against Pakistan he returned his worst match figures at the ground, 40-5-139-2.
Five-wicket hauls are often seen as the bowling equivalent of a batsman scoring a century.
In Lyon’s case his last five-for was 26 Tests ago, when hauls of 5-134 and 7-152 earned him man-of-the-match honours against India in Adelaide in December 2014.
There has been talk of playing two spinners against Pakistan in the New Year’s Test at the SCG.
For mine, I would go in with just the one specialist spinner in support of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird.
And that man should not be Lyon, but his New South Wales teammate, Steve O’Keefe.
The left-arm orthodox O’Keefe has been a long-time performer at first-class level.
In 64 matches, he has captured 218 wickets at 23.6.
Allied to his work with the ball is his more than capable record with the willow.
He has a first-class average of 29.1 with nine half-centuries, the best of which was an innings of 99.
With Nic Maddinson and Matthew Wade struggling in the middle order, O’Keefe’s batting would be a welcome addition.
But it will be his bowling that should ensure his selection.
O’Keefe has played three Tests to date.
After debuting against Pakistan in the UAE in October 2014 with match figures of 4-219, he was overlooked until the SCG Test in January this year against West Indies where he took 3-63 off 26.1 overs in the one innings he bowled in.
On the back of another solid first-class summer he was included in the squad that toured Sri Lanka in July.
He guaranteed his selection in the first Test at Pallekele with a stunning performance against a Sri Lankan XI in the warm-up fixture, capturing 5-43 and 5-21 as well as an innings of 78 not out.
In the opening Test he captured 3-74 from his 27 overs but a hamstring tear during the match saw him return home with Jon Holland called in as his replacement.
It was a cruel blow for O’Keefe who would surely have played all three Tests.
Having overcome the hamstring injury, he then suffered a broken finger in training that ruled him out of the Matador Cup at the start of the domestic summer.
Since returning to the fold he has shown solid form, including hauls of 5-65 and 3-41 against Western Australia at the SCG last month.
Both Lyon and O’Keefe will likely be in the tour party to India in February.
But at the SCG next week, if one spinner is the option, it should be O’Keefe who gets the nod.
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
Thanks Geoff, appreciate the eloquent comments. Shame you didn't make them at the time the article was published rather than after the Test.
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
Sorry Sandy/Russ/Geoff, his record for the last 18 months is still crap. A few sayings apply here: "even a stopped clock is right twice a day", or maybe "the sun shines on a dog's @rse every now and then"... I like Lyon, and I want him back bowling his best. However, SOK is better, has better stats to prove it, and can bat. Lyon needs some time to relearn his craft and let SOK get an extended run. Then, let the chips fall where they may.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Hauritz, Miller, Yardley and Mallett would all have taken over 200 test wickets, if they had played 60+ tests like Lyon has. The number of Lyon's test wickets speaks less of his skill and more of the apparent lack of alternative spin options in this country. Nathan will need to bowl much better in Sydney (and for more than an over or two) if he is to deserve a trip to India.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
It is a shame that Lyon cant get back to basics and find success that is there to be had. Probably, the most concerning aspect of his bowling at present is how quickly he returns to his "too flat, too straight" standard delivery type, even after having success with more flight or an outside off line. It makes his selection pointless because Steve Smith doesn't know how he can be used successfully. The last two tests have seen the best two spells Lyon has bowled in the past two years. (Into the footmarks at the Gabba to Younis Khan and then on the final day before the tea break at the MCG). Yet both times, no sooner has he found success than he returns to bowling too flat and too much on the legs, leaking runs and not being any threat at all.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Well said!
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
You do realise that what a batsmen does in a 20/20 game should have absolutely no bearing on selections or possible selections for a test side!
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Lyon has taken 220+ test wickets because he was fortunate to be the 11th test spinner tried after Shane Warne's retirement. The ten spinners preceding him were tried and dumped after considerably shorter test careers. Nathan Hauritz's 17 tests is the most of any of these spinners. Hauritz had almost identical success to Lyon, in terms of wickets taken, average, strike rate and economy rate. His batting was also considerably stronger than Lyon's, yet he was considered not good enough to play any more test cricket and yet Lyon has now played 62 tests. The only reason can be that after 10 try and fails, the selectors drew a line in the sand and made the next spin selection one for a lifetime, regardless of how deserving or worthy that spinner was. Lyon with his 6 shield games experience was in the right place in the right time and benefited from this selection of grace. In fact, every test he still is.
Geoff
Guest
Glenn Mitchell wouldn't know if his arse was on fire. Thank you Nathan Lyon and the Aussie cricket for leaving scrambled egg on his face
Russ
Guest
HAHAHAHA.... love it.
Sandy B
Guest
Ding ding! Thats the bell on the oven. The humble pies are ready. Time for everyone above to start eating them...again! Well done GOAT
Russ
Guest
Oh the irony....BWAHAHAHAHA "Had we had a wicket taking spinner who could win us games on the last day he would have been lucky to play half the games and take half the wickets he has."
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Rob, what part of Mitch Marsh was dropped because his batting was crap (and hasn't improved) are you not understanding. Sure his bowling was ok and could have been used more but Hazlewood and Bird have out bowled him by a mile also. No chance he takes a bowlers spot on a maybe. How were his bowling figures in Srilanka?
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Like S Marsh. No Neville and S Marsh at 5 or 6 would be huge. I think we are at long odds for Handscomb to be keeping though.
Armchair Expert
Guest
Miller, Yardley and Mallet were also better than Lyon.
Rob JM
Guest
Mitch Marsh is a good player of spin and his reverse swing makes him more potentially more useful than hazlewood and bird in those conditions. Its the only option for strengthening the batting and playing three seamers.
Magnus M. Østergaard
Roar Guru
Lynn is hopeless against spin and you wouldnt want a subpar keeper when India is all over us in every part of the game.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Lyon got to be the GOAT because there was no one better for a good while. Had we had a wicket taking spinner who could win us games on the last day he would have been lucky to play half the games and take half the wickets he has. Time to say the Lyon experiment is over and pick a wicket taking spinner for the future.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Why should Lyon be in the India tour party? Finger spinners will get eaten alive over there. We at least need someone who turns the ball both ways to make life as difficult as possible for the Indians. Fawad Ahmed or talk Brad Hogg into playing again.
Mal
Guest
Hauritz was better than Lyon.
danno
Guest
I have been asking for Lyon to be dropped for the past 18 months. He has rarely taken 5 wickets in an innings, last time in 2014 against India in Adelaide when they were going the tonk for quick runs and he got cheap wickets. He managed to bask in the shadow of Johnson & Harris but can do so no longer as his bowling has deteriorated further. When M Hussey gave him the Aust victory song, he was anointed GOAT, became a media & fan cult figure it was as if he was now a part of the fabric of the side and could not be dropped. This has been the case as his performances over a long stretch now simply do not stack up. Since G 'swampie' Marsh was dropped for a dead rubber 5th test for a W Phillips (not the real one), a gutsy call could be on the horizon.