Follow UsNathan Lyon, Australia’s third-highest wicket-taker in Tests, has revealed that a simple piece of advice from veteran Rangana Herath helped him turn around his fortunes in Asia.
In the first five years of his Test career, till 2016, Lyon averaged 42.57 in Asia, picking just 42 wickets in 11 Tests whilst being convincingly outbowled by his counterparts. But his numbers in Asia drastically improved 2017 onwards, the off-spinner accounting for 65 wickets in 11 Tests at a vastly improved average of 26.44. The four-Test series against India in early 2017, in fact, saw Lyon register career-best figures of 8/50.
Speaking ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, the 34-year-old revealed how words of wisdom from Rangana Herath helped him transform his bowling approach in the subcontinent.
"I had a conversation with him after the Test series (in 2016),” Lyon was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
"I said, 'What do you do that I don't do?' And he said, 'I know that if I put the ball in one spot, you blokes will stuff up'. Those were his exact words.
"That's a pretty simple mindset. (What) I took out of it was, the secret to everyone's success is if you can challenge their defence for long periods of time, you'll be able to create chances.
"That's what (Herath) did extremely well. He challenged our defence for long periods of time, and he got the rewards."
The off-spinner also spoke of the time he worked with the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan, whom he described as ‘the greatest Sri Lankan cricketer to ever play the game’.
"I trained with Murali, batted against Murali, bowled with Murali for two or three hours a day," said Lyon, recollecting his first experience with the legendary off-spinner, during a week-long camp at Colombo’s SSC ground in 2014.
"So it was pretty remarkable spending time with him here in Sri Lanka, probably the greatest Sri Lankan cricketer to ever play the game, definitely the greatest (Sri Lankan) bowler.
"Talking to Murali, it's not about me trying to bowl like him, it's more of a mindset thing. I think I've been able to really learn off so many people around the world, but Murali's mindset was pretty unique,” Lyon said.
Someone who relies on drift, dip and over-spin, Lyon asserted that he believes that his method and skill is ‘good enough to perform wherever in the world’ but added that when it comes to bowling in the subcontinent, he has no issues in switching it up and bowling ‘ugly’.
"I still believe in spinning up the back of the ball and that's (effective) no matter where it is. And that's purely myself believing that my skill is good enough to perform wherever in the world.
"But what's come to me on my terms – and this is purely me – is the ability and willingness to bowl ugly.
"That's only me talking about my bowling and how I can be more effective over here. That's something I'll be trying to do, is look to bowl a little bit more ugly than what I'm used to.
"It's different variations which don't really work in Australia. That potentially might be round-arm, totally undercutting it, slight little wrist position (changes) – behind the ball, beside the ball, etc.
"That's my terms of bowling ugly,” Lyon said.