How India plans to stop Nathan Lyon from winning series for Australia
He hasn’t needed to fire many shots yet this series, but India has a plan to take down Australia’s spinning talisman. Robert Craddock unpacks the tourists’ tricks to taming the GOAT.
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When India takes on Nathan Lyon on Boxing Day look for them to try and box clever.
Plenty of jabs, not many wild haymakers (Rishabh Pant apart), nice feet movement … a little war of patience and attrition. That is their plan to counter Australia’s most underestimated bowler.
For various reasons Lyon is yet to sink his teeth into India this series.
In Perth he took just 2-119 for the match but he was barely used on a seamer’s deck in the first innings.
He wasn’t needed under lights in Adelaide and bowled just one over for the match and did not have much to do in a rain-marred game in Brisbane, taking 1-61.
But with two Tests to play he is a man Australia will quietly look to steady the ship in a Lyon sort of way.
To do so he must overcome three challenges handed down by Indian team who have a fascinating blend of tactics against him which are brave in some parts and conservative in others.
MILK NOT MASTER
Before this tour, former Indian coach Ravi Shastri revealed India’s successful approach to Lyon on their last tour here was based on milking not mastering him.
“Stay busy,’’ Shastri wrote in this masthead.
“Don’t let him settle. Use your feet. Rotate the strike. Don’t worry so much about the big shots, but keep things ticking over.”
Cricviz statistics have shown that India have attacked Lyon less than other teams.
In Tests in Australia since 2017, India play attacking shots against Lyon 20 per cent of the time compared to 24 per cent from other nations, but their percentage of strike rotating shots (37) is above those used by other nations (24).
FANCY FEET
When a group of young Australian batters were sent to India a few decades ago to learn how to play spin bowling, master spinner Bishen Bedi gave them a key line.
“Either get your feet as close as you can to the pitch of the ball or as far away from it as possible,’’ Bedi said.
India is trying this tactic with Lyon. They have used their feet to him 16 per cent of times to Lyon. All other teams have advanced only 6 per cent. But it is off the back foot where the biggest difference occurs.
India’s batsmen, on average when moving back, play Lyon 15cms deeper in the crease than other nations allowing them to better ride the bounce caused by his over-spinning action.
It works for them. Since 2017 in Australia they have averaged 130 runs per wicket against him off the back foot in Australia compared to 29 from other nations.
LEFT NOT RIGHT
Lyon loves bowling to left-handers. His bowling average against lefties in Australia is 21 over the past seven years compared to 34 against right handers.
But India’s two most prominent lefties play him soundly – Rishabh Pant averages 39 against him and the vastly underestimated Ravi Jadeja 67.
These are all challenges for Lyon but he is a fine problem solver who has a habit of surging into a series just when you have taken your eye off him.
Originally published as How India plans to stop Nathan Lyon from winning series for Australia
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