New Zealand pose a major threat in the upcoming three-Test series but Australia could scarcely be in better shape after off spinner Nathan Lyon regained touch yesterday.
With Australia’s batting line-up looking solid, and their pace attack on song, a return to form for Lyon was the key missing piece for the home side.
The veteran tweaker yesterday ended his lean trot by snaring 5-69 as he bowled with a degree of loop and drift that had been absent in recent Tests.
Up until yesterday, Lyon had taken just 13 wickets at 53 in his past six Tests. This form trough could be traced back to early in the Ashes when England changed their batting tactics against Lyon.
The off spinner had, in previous Ashes Tests, consistently troubled the English batsmen by flighting the ball beautifully and getting them caught on the crease, neither back nor forward. After Lyon took nine wickets as Australia won the first Ashes Test England made a concerted effort to start playing him off the back foot more often.
When Lyon tossed the ball up on his usual line and length the English batsmen got deep in their crease to work him for ones and twos. Suddenly, the close in catchers who had been so busy off Lyon’s bowling were taken out of the game, to a degree.
Lyon responded by bowling flatter and straighter. He figured, perhaps, that by doing so he would hurry the batsmen and become a greater LBW threat. Instead, he became far less effective. England had managed to get him to abandon his strengths.
Even in the first Test against Pakistan in Brisbane last week, at one of Lyon’s favourite hunting grounds, the spinner was too flat and too straight too often.
Several of the Pakistan batsmen, perhaps taking their lead from England, sought to play him from deep in their crease as regularly as possible. Then, when he overcorrected, tossing the ball up on a full length, they leaned forward to drive him.
This pattern continued in the first innings at Adelaide, as even the Pakistan tail countered Lyon easily. But yesterday things finally clicked for the veteran.
The loop was back, as tantalising as ever. Just as important was the way in which he consistently located the classic in-between length, which makes batsmen doubt their footwork.
Again and again yesterday Lyon had Pakistan batsmen in two minds due to this length. This prompted them to take some risks, just as opener Shan Masood did when he skipped down the track, tried to loft Lyon down the ground and succeeded only in bunting it straight to mid-off.
Nathan Lyon. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Next Asad Shafiq was undone by Lyon’s length. The Pakistani first came forward to a delivery and then quickly tried to rock back, managing only to steer the ball to leg slip.
Then Lyon got the ball to dip sharply on Iftikhar Ahmed, who stretched forward to try to smother this delivery, but ended up nowhere near it.
The ball lifted sharply off the pitch, caught Ahmed’s inside edge and ballooned to short leg. This dismissal was a carbon copy of the way Lyon dislodged English batsmen again and again, until they changed up their tactics in the last Ashes.
Lyon then grabbed two tail end wickets to complete his five-for. Just like the resurgence of his long-time bowling colleague Mitchell Starc, which I wrote about yesterday, Lyon’s return to form could not have come at a better time.
Next week Australia begin a three-Test series against New Zealand who are not just the world’s number two ranked side but also boast a quality batting line-up.
Six of the Kiwi top seven average over 40 in Tests. Lyon has excelled against New Zealand in the past, taking 30 wickets at 22 in Tests.
So the men from across the Tasman won’t have been pleased to see him bounce back in resounding fashion yesterday.
Lyon won’t be the factor that decides this series. It will come down to two areas: Will the Kiwis be 5-130 or 2-170 after two sessions? If the latter, then they have the bowlers to win two out of the three tests. The other factor is if they finally catch a break in Australia as far as the umpiring goes…they usually get royally screwed on one or two massive decisions when they tour Australia. If one believes the Universe can even these things out, then the Aussies are a due a couple shockers and the Kiwis a couple of umpiring favours, which could be the difference between 2-0 or 2-1 to either team.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Would've kicked himself for not making a 300! That waca pitch was dead!
Republcian
Guest
.....spot on bobbo7.
Republican
Guest
NZ are no longer overawed by Australian pedigree in cricket and have long been superior in the truncated forms of the game. They have a knack for creeping up on us in sports we consider ourselves number one in as they have shown in Rugby league to name one, a code that is barley niche there. They are now our equal at Test Cricket and a more balanced side than us in my opinion, while some comments here epitomise the Australian arrogance and complacency that has long been our Achilles heel when pitted against them in all and sundry. We will have local conditions in our favour however the Kiwis are more than adaptable. We can thank our lucky stars that the series is not being played on their side of the ditch, where I reckon they would put us to the sword with consummate ease. I predict a victory in Perth to the Black Caps with the remaining tests in Melbourne and Sydney respectively, drawn affairs. Series to NZ.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
A bit early to start smokin' the pole. It is one innings against Pakistan.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
He went pretty well at the last test at optus too took 5 wickets in an innings I think . Slightly concerning are his averages at MCG (35 av) and even worse SCG (48 av) . Swepson has some leg spin talent I wouldn't mind him playing at SCG or MCG haven't looked up his shield record but he seems more suited to test bowling than ODi/20-20
JamesH
Roar Guru
Agreed, their batting lineup is far more potent and their pacemen have already shown they can be effective here.
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Interesting background targa, although I was born in asia and came to aus when young and im dinky die aussie like phar lap . Timaru sounds like somewhere I better visit
Pierro
Roar Rookie
I remember that bloke can't forget his surname
Bobbo7
Guest
Williamson averages over 50 in Australia. Taylor made a 200 last time too
jameswm
Roar Guru
I still have nightmares about trying to get Greatbatch out...
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
And Greg Mathews drunk out of the jug after the umpire got hit on the head.
Targa
Roar Rookie
Phar Lap comes from Timaru (popn 20,000). It is quite a small place, but hugely significant. Timaru was also the home of Bob Fitzsimmons (an early world heavyweight boxing champ), Richard Pearse who flew before the Wright brothers, and Jack Lovelock a great miler who won the 1500m at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Targa
Roar Rookie
Crowe scored 188 in the Gabba test when Hadlee took 15 wickets
Pierro
Roar Rookie
He's only the best leg spinner world wide of all time rowdy
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Lyon has a huge record at Adelaide DN too, done well in all three. Perth good but only one test there. MCG and SCG poor to really bad averages there. Id be keen to let Swespon get involved for some experience and also leg spinner which may suit mcg and scg. Doubt the selectors will have caheunas to give him a go though
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Hadlee the one and only to get them a series win . Cant remember if martin crowe knocked up some big runs in aus too ? Although was hadlee bowling at kim hughes?
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Except phar lap was a die hard aussie really needed tommy to heal him and make him the aussie great
Pierro
Roar Rookie
Footrot flats and dave dobbin also had their time at the top in Aus .
Pierro
Roar Rookie
India will be much tougher than England next summer