Ashes 2017: Former Test star Stuart MacGill says Nathan Lyon is the best spin bowler in the world
NATHAN Lyon started the year trying to mimic Test cricket’s No.1 bowler. Now he is being hailed for taking his mantle as the best spinner in the world.
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NATHAN Lyon started the year trying to mimic Test cricket’s No.1 bowler.
Now he is being hailed for taking his mantle as the best spinner in the world.
Former Australian great Stuart MacGill has declared Lyon has surpassed Indian master Ravi Ashwin’s standing as the game’s premier spinner, and the stats show there is nothing outlandish about the claim.
Lyon has already taken 48 wickets at a measly average of just 22 runs per breakthrough this year, and that is from two Test matches less (8) than what it’s taken Ashwin to claim 44 poles.
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By Christmas, Lyon could be crowned the leading wicket taker in all of Test cricket for this calendar year, an astonishing achievement for an off-spinner who started 2017 with serious doubt cast over his ability to fire in sub-continental conditions.
Not only did Lyon absolutely dominate in India and Bangladesh, but he’s come back home to Australia and threatened with nearly every delivery he’s bowled in the first innings at the Gabba.
Lyon wanted to be like Ashwin, but according to MacGill, the 30-year-old has knocked the Indian star off his perch.
“I think Nathan is the best spinner in the world at the moment,” MacGill told The Daily Telegraph recently.
“I know the stats of someone like Ravi Ashwin might suggest otherwise, but Nathan is the only spinner in the world that does exceptionally well in Australia and away from home.
“That’s just good attacking spin bowling.
“(Backing him) is the kind of approach Australia needed to take. In Australia we’ve got wickets where you can’t wait as long for the other team to make mistakes. You’ve got to tactically and skilfully make inroads yourself.”
Lyon deserved a much greater return than his 2-78, with his lack of wickets belying the ever-present danger he presented.
The trapping of England dangerman Moeen Ali (38) was a turning point in the innings, and he followed that up with absolutely superb delivery to bowl Chris Woakes for a duck.
Lyon, who has always bowled well at the Gabba, beat the bat constantly and allowed Pat Cummins to fire from all cylinders at the opposite end.
By doing so, Lyon backed up his pre-match baiting of England in the UK press and showcased the supreme confidence he has discovered over recent months.