NATHAN Lyon has been officially locked in as Australia’s first-choice spinner for the tour of India.
‘I JUST GAVE UP”: Watto reveals his leg before torment
TEST HOPE: Henriques sees T20 as stepping stone
Coach Darren Lehmann has declared at an arrival press conference in Mumbai that Lyon is the premier spinner in the Australian arsenal and he is being backed to produce a career-defining performance in sub-continental conditions where he has previously struggled.
The ringing endorsement marks a significant turnaround for the 29-year-old after he came within a whisker of being dropped from the Test side on multiple occasions during the home summer.
Lyon picked himself up off the canvas with some match-winning performances against Pakistan and his reward is a near guaranteed start as the No. 1 spinner in the first Test in Pune starting next week.
Lehmann indicated that the XI selectors pick for Australia’s tour match in Mumbai starting on Friday will resemble the side they’ll take into the first Test — although it’s possible that fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood could be rested.
The Australian coach made it clear that the team’s focus is not on results but on getting themselves into the contest.
Captain Steve Smith says he has learned plenty from the disastrous whitewash loss in Sri Lanka last year and is adamant belief is growing in the Australian camp that they can achieve the impossible.
“For me it’s about understanding the different times of the game and there’s times of the game where you can attack a lot more and times when you have to defend a little bit and just let the game take its course,” Smith said.
“Keep things quite tight (sometimes) and when you get a sniff, really go for it.
“That’s an important aspect of captaincy here in India. Knowing the right periods and timing the periods when to take the foot off the pedal and when to really go hard as well.
‘I JUST GAVE UP”: Watto reveals his leg before torment
TEST HOPE: Henriques sees T20 as stepping stone
Coach Darren Lehmann has declared at an arrival press conference in Mumbai that Lyon is the premier spinner in the Australian arsenal and he is being backed to produce a career-defining performance in sub-continental conditions where he has previously struggled.
The ringing endorsement marks a significant turnaround for the 29-year-old after he came within a whisker of being dropped from the Test side on multiple occasions during the home summer.
Lyon picked himself up off the canvas with some match-winning performances against Pakistan and his reward is a near guaranteed start as the No. 1 spinner in the first Test in Pune starting next week.
It appears increasingly certain that experienced duo Lyon and Steve O’Keefe will be backed as Australia’s spin twins in India, with Ashton Agar and Glenn Maxwell also in the frame as all-round options.
Australia’s hierarchy publicly aired their disappointment in Lyon’s performance in Sri Lanka last year, but although other positions in the XI remain up for grabs, his is already set in stone.
But with the power comes great responsibility and pressure will be on Lyon to deliver in the opening Tests.
“Nathan Lyon, he’s our premier spinner and we expect him to bowl really well for us,” said Lehmann.
“We have to work out our best attack to take 20 wickets and we’ll wait and see what wicket we get in Pune.
“It really gives us options. They’re all good kids and they’ll learn.”
Australia’s hierarchy publicly aired their disappointment in Lyon’s performance in Sri Lanka last year, but although other positions in the XI remain up for grabs, his is already set in stone.
But with the power comes great responsibility and pressure will be on Lyon to deliver in the opening Tests.
“Nathan Lyon, he’s our premier spinner and we expect him to bowl really well for us,” said Lehmann.
“We have to work out our best attack to take 20 wickets and we’ll wait and see what wicket we get in Pune.
“It really gives us options. They’re all good kids and they’ll learn.”
Lehmann indicated that the XI selectors pick for Australia’s tour match in Mumbai starting on Friday will resemble the side they’ll take into the first Test — although it’s possible that fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood could be rested.
The Australian coach made it clear that the team’s focus is not on results but on getting themselves into the contest.
Captain Steve Smith says he has learned plenty from the disastrous whitewash loss in Sri Lanka last year and is adamant belief is growing in the Australian camp that they can achieve the impossible.
“For me it’s about understanding the different times of the game and there’s times of the game where you can attack a lot more and times when you have to defend a little bit and just let the game take its course,” Smith said.
“Keep things quite tight (sometimes) and when you get a sniff, really go for it.
“That’s an important aspect of captaincy here in India. Knowing the right periods and timing the periods when to take the foot off the pedal and when to really go hard as well.
“You learn more from losing games than winning. I think this team has come a long way, we’re learning a lot, willing to put in the hard work to get the best out of ourselves and the team is happy with where everything is at the moment.
“It’s obviously going to be a difficult tour, but we’re really excited about that challenge.
“We know if we can pull something off and win a series here it will be some of the best times of our lives.”
Originally published as Lyon assurance caps remarkable change of fortune
“It’s obviously going to be a difficult tour, but we’re really excited about that challenge.
“We know if we can pull something off and win a series here it will be some of the best times of our lives.”
Originally published as Lyon assurance caps remarkable change of fortune
0 comments: