‘Our best bowler’: Lyon tells how Kuhnemann destroyed Sri Lanka

Galle: As he took in the achievement of plucking 550 Test wickets and forecast many more, Nathan Lyon raved about left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann as “our best bowler”, in what looms as a drought-busting Test series victory for Australia in Sri Lanka.

Nicknamed “Jaddu” after Ravindra Jadeja, Kuhnemann (4-52) took wickets in his first and last overs of day three. In between times he provided a constant threat to players well-versed in how to handle slow bowling, and put himself in extremely rare territory for Australian left-arm spin.

Pathum Nissanka is bowled by Matt Kuhnemann on day three.Credit: Getty Images

Until this series, arguably the most celebrated performance by an Australian exponent of the art was actually Allan Border’s 11 wickets against the West Indies at the SCG in 1989, a rogue match for a part-timer. More recently, Michael Clarke’s 6-9 in Mumbai in 2004 and Steve O’Keefe’s 12 wickets in Pune in 2017 stand out.

But none have put together a series more consistently dangerous in South Asia than this one from Kuhnemann. He has a chance on day four to add a couple more wickets to a tally that currently stands at 16 victims at 16.50, striking every 33.6 deliveries.

Lyon’s wonderment at this was twofold. First, Kuhnemann has done it despite nursing a right thumb that was dislocated and broken badly little more than two weeks ago. Secondly, these two Tests are only the fourth and fifth of his career after three in India in 2023. Suffice to say that Lyon at the same stage was nowhere near capable of such command.

“Kuhny has been exceptional, and he deserves all the praise that he gets,” Lyon said. “The way he broke his thumb three weeks ago and to show the courage to come out here and bowl, I know it’s hurting him, but he’s there, he’s shown a lot of courage and he’s bowling exceptionally well.

“He just keeps telling me he’s a Queenslander and they’re built differently apparently ... even though he plays for Tasmania.

“He’s bowling his best ball over and over and challenging guys’ defence, and that’s all we can ask. I’m extremely proud, especially given the Test matches he’s played, for him to take 16 wickets thus far in this series, and there’s still a couple left out there. I think he’s been our best bowler.”

Spin expert and assistant coach Dan Vettori outlined how Kuhnemann has been able to dominate in Sri Lanka – largely by evolving through more consistent match play after moving from Queensland to Tasmania.

“One of the big changes for him was moving to Tasmania and getting a lot more opportunities to bowl in conditions that encourage spin a little bit more and being the frontline spinner,” Vettori said. “So he’s taken that role on and I think come into the group more confident in his skills.

“The fact he’s been able to battle through that injury and turn up and compete with everything, it doesn’t even look like he’s broken his thumb. Then his consistency and repeatability, that’s stepped up from the last time.

Matthew Kuhnemann of Australia bowls during day one.Credit: Getty Images

“I think he still bowled a lot of wicket-taking balls in that series in India, but I think he’ll admit that at times he probably let them off with missing length occasionally, but this time he’s been relentless the whole time.”

Lyon was bashful as ever about his own milestone, but reflected warmly on how he was guided through a surprise debut here 14 years ago. It is still the most recent Australian series win in Sri Lanka.

“I hate talking about it, but it is something I’m extremely proud about, and to do it here in Galle, which holds a pretty special memory for me and my career,” he said. “A very special moment. Pretty cool when you look at it, when I debuted 14 years ago I didn’t think I’d take 550 wickets, so to pick up that one here, very special.

“Looking back at my debut, I was pretty raw, didn’t really know what I was doing, and I just remembered Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey came up and said have a bit of fun, trust your skill and bowl your best ball.

“They’re three things that have stuck with me through my whole career, and I’ll keep doing that until the day I retire, but that’s a long way away.”

Like Vettori, Lyon was open about the fact that Cooper Connolly’s debut, in which he has bowled just five overs, came in part because the team felt the pitch would be more treacherous than the still tricky surface it has proven to be.

“I think they thought the wicket was probably going to be a little bit naughtier than what it has been so far and runs were going to be at a premium,” Lyon said. “So if Coops gets his chance I’m pretty sure he can do the job for us, but I’m happy to bowl all day. I’ll rest when I get home.”

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