With the SCG pitch helping spinners in domestic cricket this summer, Australia might have been considering two spinners for the third Test against Pakistan.
Not anymore, surely, after Nathan Lyon was mauled again yesterday.
The Australian off spinner is having a horrendous summer, averaging 67 with the ball from five home Tests against South Africa and Pakistan while conceding a lofty 3.75 runs per over.
Lyon yesterday was humiliated by Pakistan tailender Sohail Khan, who hit him for 33 runs from 20 balls. Despite averaging only 14 with the bat in his first-class career, Sohail treated Lyon with disdain, dispatching him for four huge sixes.
Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir has also enjoyed facing Lyon, clattering him for 22 runs from just 18 balls in the past two innings. This continues a recent trend of Lyon being shown up by lower order batsmen.
In the opening Test of the summer against South Africa in Perth tailenders Keshav Maharaj and Vernon Philander hammered Lyon for 48 from 53 balls in the second innings. As I touched on yesterday, Lyon has tended to bowl too flat to the tail, seemingly worried about going for boundaries.
I have long been a fierce supporter of Lyon. Now, however, I cannot see how a case can be made for him playing at the SCG, when the series will likely still be alive. Pakistan are Lyon’s most feared team – he has averaged a whopping 113 in four Tests against them.
Their top seven consistently milk Lyon’s bowling, and now even Pakistan’s tail is dominating him.
I’m convinced Lyon would be sitting on the sidelines right now if in-form spinner Steve O’Keefe hadn’t suffered a calf injury last month. At the time Lyon looked like being dropped when he struggled against South Africa. Now O’Keefe is in action again and has bowled well in three Big Bash League games over the past nine days.
Both Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe played in last year’s SCG Test against the West Indies, and together they snared six of Australia’s ten wickets in the rained-out match. In two Sheffield Shield matches at the SCG this summer spinners have taken 36 out of 64 wickets, which equates to 56 per cent, a whopping figure on an Australian pitch.
That said, it would still be an odd choice for Australia to pick two spinners at the SCG given how poorly Lyon is bowling and how well Pakistan play spin. O’Keefe has an outstanding record at the SCG, his home ground, having taken 54 wickets at an average of 22 in first-class matches at the venue.
Australia’s next Test series is in India, where spin will play a major role. Given only one more round of the Sheffield Shield will be completed before the Australian squad flies to India in February, it would be wise to offer O’Keefe some red ball practice against the spin-proficient Pakistan batsmen.
Not only is Lyon in a form trough but his skipper, Steve Smith, seems to have lost all confidence in him. The knock on effect is that Australia’s pace bowlers are being burdened with very heavy workloads.
O’Keefe’s accurate, frugal offerings would offer greater balance to a four-man Australian attack.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
Well this will do me. 3 really good wickets and now we will stick with Lyon. May as well forfeit the India series now.
Armchair Expert
Guest
The last thing Australia needs now is a spinner with a 40+ 1st class bowling average, as for Agar's batting, It's still inferior to SOK's.
danno
Guest
Lyon may never come back the same bowler from his early days. Remember Krejza. It can happen with spinners.
jameswm
Roar Guru
I'm really starting to think the team should be shaping like this 1. Warner 2. Renshaw, but spot not secure yet 3. Khawaja 4. Smith 5. Not sure here - Lynn could force his way in - has the ability and temperament I think 6. Cartwright, or Maxwell in the subcontinent 7. Handscomb (w-k) 8. SOK for now, and working on Agar 9. Starc (he's a test 9 not 8) 10. Hazlewood 11. Bird for now, but Pattinson and Cummins coming back Look at the batting at 7 and 8. Right now we're cooked once we lose our 4th wicket.
doogs
Guest
Warnie and Murali's averages were quite poor in India compared to their other stats. I think Warnie was around mid 40s and Murali mid 30s. They both did fine in other venues on the subcontinent. I am not sure what it is about India, but it only seems to be their spinners that do well when we play them. There is usually a cry for more spinners to go there but are most successful bowlers there are not spinners
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
A couple of decent performances does not a career make... I rate Agar and think he'll be very good in the future, but SOK has been putting in great performances for years now, he is the first one in.
Doctor Rotcod
Guest
Agree with Agar. He outbowled O'Keefe in Sydney in November and had two stumpings taken by Whiteman NSW's 2nd dig was pretty hairy and Agar was responsible
Armchair Expert
Guest
Lyon also got creamed in Sri Lanka when Hearth and co were dominating, Lyon's poor form goes back a lot further than this series.
Darren
Guest
I don't think this has been a good wicket to judge spinners. Even Shah has been smashed. Still Lyon hasn't been good for sometime so probably time for SOK. Not sure he will do any better against Pakistan as they are very good against spin. Still worth a try. Thinking of playing Sayers if one of the quicks aren't fit for Sydney.
Rob JM
Guest
If we have an offie at no.6 then agar could be a good option at 8 (with SOK at 9) if he shows some shield form. Considering australias batting problems against spin and lack of spinners i expect the indian pitches will be well cooked.
Brissie Boy
Guest
Fair enough. Do you think Sayers is a chance of getting a go in Sydney? Starc looked a bit out of sorts in the first innings...
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
Sounds fair to me, look forward to being able to retire on those royalties soon...
Basil
Guest
We'll split the royalties
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
G'day Brissie, I definitely wouldn't play two spinners at Sydney because Pakistan's batting lineup is amazing against spin - hence why Lyon has averaged more than 100 with the ball in four Tests against them. Pakistan would absolutely love it if Australia played two specialist spinners at Sydney. I also wouldn't play two left arm spinners in the same side in India - I'd take Holland to India only as an understudy to O'Keefe not as a potential spin partner.
Brissie Boy
Guest
Yeah, Ronan, agree Lyon seems low on confidence and probably needs to go back the Blues and take some wickets. Thoughts on Jon Holland playing as a second spinner and giving one of the quicks a rest in Sydney? He often outbowled Lyon in Sri Lanka and as a Bulls fan, I shudder just thinking about in Round 2 of the Shield when he ripped through our top order and we lost by an innings...
twodogs
Guest
He never really had a mojo.
Les Boyd's Elbow
Guest
Nathan Lyon is a meme, and only good memes can make the Aussie side.
MickyC
Guest
Agree, Lyon is cooked. Smith should bowl himself more to give his pacemen a break but I think he's avoiding bowling so as not to throw further doubt on Lyon. Back to Shield for Lyon for now.
TheCunningLinguistic
Guest
Ha, I said almost the exact same thing on Glenn's article, Basil! I swear I hadn't read your comment first, but it's scarily almost verbatim!
Don Freo
Guest
He'd need to be able to bowl well, too. He struggles with that bit.