Nathan Lyon has hurt the ego of Indian batsmen, proud to be brought up on a spin diet, for almost a decade now. In a way, he has led the campaign of exposing the frailties of Indian batsmen against spin on away tours.
Be it Nathan Lyon or Moeen Ali, unabashed counterattack has always been the go-to plan for Indian batsmen whenever either of these off-spinners have managed to run through them. It was as if almost unpardonable to give in to an overseas spinner. Yet, Lyon has evolved with years and seems to be ahead of the Indian batsmen every time. The first innings in Adelaide was just a reminder why the Indian team management can't drive all its energy towards planning for the famed pace attack of
Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
"Can't reveal my secrets," Lyon said when asked how he had managed to tie the Indian batsmen to the crease in Adelaide. He is clear in his mind that the Indian batsmen would want to dominate him. He builds his game plan around it.
"India will look to attack me again. Especially, when you look at the quality of pacers we have. I am totally fine with it. I am used to guys come after me. For me, it's about knowing when to attack and when to defend as well. Realise who I am bowling with at the other end and having that partnership. It's all fun of playing cricket," he said.
Cheteshwar Pujara and
Virat Kohli gave glimpse of their approach against Lyon during their scrap last week. Pujara, in particular, was the only Indian batsman who negated Lyon on the last tour by running down the pitch. "We spoke about him in depth before the series. It was nice to see a couple of plans coming off in Adelaide. There are a couple more up our sleeve if needed," Lyon sent out a warning.
Premeditated charge down the pitch against Lyon may not be the best idea anymore. It has been the go-to counterattacking move for Indian batsmen over the years. Lyon added: "I looking at a few keys. Few different guys have different techniques or triggers when they are coming down. As a bowler, you are always looking for those. Hopefully, you can get ahead of them."
The battle's on for Indian batsmen and Lyon's watching!
It's not just the Indian batsmen though. Lyon has travelled around the world and made a mark everywhere. That is why he sits on the cusp of 400 Test wickets now. He did offer some insight on some of the adjustments he had made in the last few years.
"I have been trying to work on bowling quicker for many years with John Davison, the guy I go to about my spin bowling. It depends on the conditions. For the last four or five years, my pace has gone up a couple of kms. It's more about the shape you want to generate on the ball. You can bowl any pace but you need to get that shape. That's the most dangerous thing."
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