Amid the worst form trough of his Ashes career and in the wake of botching the run out that would have won Australia the urn, Nathan Lyon faces major mental and technical hurdles over the next two Tests.
The veteran off-spinner has been pilloried in recent days for missing the easy run-out chance of Jack Leach. Many people have questioned whether that mistake will muddle his mind over the remainder of this series, while former foes like Matt Prior have come out of the woodwork to rub salt into the wounds.
Rebounding from such a critical error will undoubtedly test Lyon’s mental fortitude. His fumble has been replayed countless times already and will be shown on the big screens at Old Trafford again and again next week.
The Manchester crowd, meanwhile, will be constantly reminding Lyon of his blunder throughout the fourth Test.
I think Lyon, though, is better equipped to cope with this hardship than most international cricketers. With 357 wickets to his name, he is one of the world’s most experienced Test cricketers. Lyon is also intimately familiar with adversity.
Few Australian cricketers in the modern era have experienced a greater range of highs and lows than the off-spinner, who spent the first six years of his Test career trying to convince the Australian selectors and public that he belonged.
I wrote a long read for The Roar earlier this year on Lyon’s rollercoaster ride.
Having been through all of that, I do not think the events at the end of the third Test will greatly hinder Lyon over the next two matches.
He has a far more serious issue to deal with.
England have found a way to neutralise Lyon.
After making a barnstorming start to this Ashes, with 12 wickets at 19 in the first three innings of the series, he has since been dominated by the hosts, taking 2-218 across the past three innings.
That is by far the worst return across a three-innings sequence in Lyon’s Ashes career. It could be argued that he’s been unlucky over that period, with several dropped catches and a couple of LBW decisions that should have been given out.
But that poor run is also due to a different approach from England. Prior to this recent slump, Lyon had been consistently excellent against England, averaging 26 with the ball across his previous 20 innings.
That success had been built upon his ability to get the English batsmen caught on the crease, neither committing fully forward or back. This brought his sharp bounce into play and created a lot of catches for the close-in fielders.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Sky TV coverage showed that, in the first three innings of this series, England’s batsmen had been getting well forward to Lyon. The off-spinner adapted to that quite easily by pulling his length back ever so slightly and challenging these front foot strokes with his lift off the pitch.
Since then, though, the Sky graphic displayed the England batsmen had made a concerted effort to play him much more off the back foot, with their average intercept points far deeper than in the first three innings of the series.
Lyon, so far, has not adjusted well to this new England strategy. England captain Joe Root used the tactic nicely, playing the Aussie from deep in the crease over and again until, when Lyon corrected his length and pitched up, he came forward to drive or sweep.
Lyon’s response to England’s fresh approach was, quite often, to bowl flatter and quicker. Perhaps he was searching for LBWs, figuring that he had the batsmen pinned back in front of their stumps. In doing so, however, he robbed himself of the sharp loop, dip and bounce that sets him apart from most other finger spinners.
When Lyon has found himself searching for form across his career commonly he has resorted to darting the ball in. Rarely has it worked. It has been when he’s rediscovered the confidence to toss the ball up once more that he’s found his groove.
England will be delighted if Lyon continues to maintain a flatter trajectory. Many of their batsmen are used to facing such spin bowling in white-ball cricket and tend to feast on it. Whereas England consistently have been undone by classical, well-flighted slow bowling.
More than the mental demons of bungling the Leach run out, I think it will be this technical battle which will most challenge Lyon as the Ashes winds to a conclusion.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
So important to get Starc back. Pattinson is quite horrible when the pressure is on...although it was a great yorker. We need footmarks. Leach won't be able to use them.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Middle and leg...obviously and confirmed. When Stokes is seeing the ball so well, to be beaten by Lyon so comprehensively is a great feather in the GOAT's cap. By the way, great captaincy to bring him back as the final wicket taking hope.
riddler
Roar Rookie
no new articles so far today. so will put here. m.marsh top scored with 74 against derbyshire. i know, as i have said many, many times on the roar, i am on my pat malone. can we get marsh in for wade. we need a fifth bowler. wade adds zero value especially at short leg.
Chancho
Roar Rookie
How much do you think the pitches have played in this? Given that he'd be looking to take wickets late as the pitch deteriorates, he was not given that in the second test and the third test was over on the fourth day. The first test went according to type and he took six in the second innings.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I suspect it’s more related to the pace in the pitch. Where there is a bit of pace he can bowl some loop and the ball zips off the pitch. On a surface as sluggish as day 4 at Leeds, it just comes off so slow, so he probably tries to give it a bit more pace himself.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Probably as a result of bowling darts and around the wicket. Very few get wickets bowling darts.
U
Roar Rookie
But he does average 32. He’s not even the best spinner in the world right now
U
Roar Rookie
Well the pressure is on when you’re considered by some to be the GOAT. Expectations are high
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Not sure if the lack of Starc has much to do with it, and you don't pick a bowler just so they can create footmarks for your spinner, but right-arm around is very different to left-arm over. It will create footmarks on that side of the pitch, outside the right-handers off stump, but those footmarks will generally be a lot wider of the stumps, and not necessarily as useful for an off-spinner to try and hit.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Back when I was still playing, at the level I played at, I was always a good player of spin, and was always very much a back foot player. I think you are almost always much better off playing back, giving the ball a chance to spin and see where it's going, then play it. If the bowler floats one up too full then go forward and smack it. So for the most part, I think it's actually not a bad way to play spin. But I also do wonder if the surface has a bit to do with it. On a sleepy, slow surface, you have tonnes of time to see the turn, react, and play your shot, but if the pitch has some pace in it and the ball can skid through quickly, then it can be more dangerous. If they come across a quicker pitch in the last couple of tests, then suddenly Lyon might be getting those balls to slip through and trap batsmen in front. But if the pitches remain sleepy and slow, then Lyon might struggle to counter that method of play.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Broad and Archer have bowled around the wicket a lot and the Aussies should be doing it more to Burns and Stokes anyway. Stokes' average against pace around the wicket is far lower than against over the wicket. I think the problem is more that the last two matches just haven't gone long enough for the wicket to deteriorate much. The footmarks have been there, but they haven't been very big or rough.
El Loco
Roar Rookie
Lyon's fine. Expectations were set after running rampant on a fifth day turner in the first test, whereas since then he's bowled on what has either effectively or actually been the third to fourth day. He's created tons of chances in the circumstances, though certainly agree he needs to keep confidence in using his flight and loop. Mentally he should have enough experience to get past the run out. Warner and Paine I'd suggest are the ones who'll be most on edge the next few weeks, both facing unwanted legacies.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Cummins (?) threw the ball in poorly. Why is the receiver copping ALL the criticism? And this appears to be the scapegoat event of the 4th innings. It was a strategic and tactical blunder by Australia for ALL of the 4th innings that lost it for us.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Well he has taken most wickets by an Australuan offie and broke a 110 year old record so an ascription to being a GOAT is not too far wide of the mark. He has taken more than our next two best offie’s combined. If he gets past 400 he can add the 4th best.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Around the wicket TOO much. And he goes defensive TOO early if being hit. He must stay the course. Don't dart the ball, Nathan, give it some air.
Gurlivleen Grewal
Roar Pro
He has been bowling faster as the games have gone - not sure if he thought the conditions demanded it? It certainly wasn't because the English were coming down the track to him - not that they are good enough players to do that anyway. Expect him to rectify and improve. No team has enough quality to be confident against quality spin, under pressure, on tracks which have worn out. This bunch of English bats - far from it. Now the other side of the equation - Lyon, he has enough quality, I hope he has enough gumption to make a come back from what transpired in the final few minutes. He certainly talks about ending careers of the opposition - can he walk the big talk? Looking at the progression on his career - he certainly should.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Ahh, for the good old days when three innings wasn't a long enough run to be considered a form slump.
Gavin
Guest
I find it amusing that Lyons is the focus of the loss being the missed run out. Perhaps the number of missed catches and lack of runs by the Batmans should be highlighted. It is normal to highlight ones person misfortune to cover up our own shortcomings.
matth
Roar Guru
Nice article, it will be interesting to see how Lyon combats this.
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
Lyon can immediately improve by sticking over the wicket to right handers. Too much round the wicket relying on a special ball and also lowers the chance of LBW. He also can use bounce more effectively over wicket