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Australia’s firestarter prior to the most recent Ashes series, Nathan Lyon has made few headlines in recent weeks but the “best spin bowler in the world” is already on England’s minds.
That is the opinion of Tim Paine, who knows the touring attack arguably better than anyone else.
The widespread expectation is the five-Test series, beginning in Birmingham on Thursday, will be a pace shootout full of low totals, chaotic collapses and early finishes.
But Lyon, Australia’s most prolific offspinner, looms as a clear point of difference if he is able to get it right and counterpart Moeen Ali fails to do the same.
The tweaker is generally capable of holding up an end, ensuring Paine can rotate his quicks and keep them fresh.
The 86-Test veteran, Australia’s most experienced player in the 17-man touring party, has also been used as an attacking weapon when Paine is hunting a breakthrough.
“Gazza’s probably the best spin bowler in the world and he’s proven that now over a long period of time,” Paine said.
“No doubt he has flown under the radar a little bit, probably because he didn’t play much in the World Cup.
“I’m sure he’s being spoken about quite a lot in their change room and they’ll be coming up with plans on how to try and counter Nathan.
“As we’ve seen the last three or four years, in any conditions he’s a real handful and he’s going to be a huge asset for us in this series.”
Lyon, who provocatively pondered “could we end some careers? I hope so” prior to the 2017-18 series, hasn’t spoken to the press during the lead up to this week’s first Test.
A promise to teammates he will re-enact Shane Warne’s ‘stump dance’ from 1997 – should Australia record their first Test series win in England in 18 years – is the most controversial thing that Lyon has uttered about this Ashes.
Paine made sure that he and Lyon were on the same team for last week’s intra-squad clash in Southampton, ensuring he could study the spinner’s work with the Dukes ball in local conditions.
The 34-year-old gloveman suggested he would need to make minor adjustments to his wicketkeeping while in England.
“It’s the same when you go to the subcontinent, the conditions are different. It’s about being able to adapt,” Paine said.
“I’ll keep slightly differently … a few small tweaks but nothing major.”
© AAP
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