Prior to their first Test match of two-match Test series against Pakistan at UAE, Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon feels confident on himself as well as on the national team too after their positive starts in the ongoing warm-up game.
Playing against Pakistan A in the four-day warm-up game (September 29-October 2) at ICC Academy (Dubai), Australian bowlers bowled out their opposition for 278 runs while Nathan Lyon had the bowling figure of 39.1-5-103-8.
At the end of the first day of the warm-up game, when Lyon had bowling figure of 5/87 and Pakistan A was battling on 246/7, the 30-year-old offspinner said, “Very good hit out for the boys. Obviously conducive conditions to have a first day hit out. Pretty happy with the way all bowlers bowled, especially the way the quicks bowled stump to stump – it’s what we spoke about.
“Good conversations, open conversations which are handy. We really tried to nail down the basics, doing the basics really well and just trying to keep it simple, to be honest. A lot of guys can come over here and complicate things in the subcontinent.
“From my past experiences, that’s one big message – doing the basics really well, enjoy the challenge and just embrace it. But it’s going to come down to bowling well in partnerships throughout this Test series.”
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While the off-spinner has surprised after observing too much spin on an opening day in the ongoing warm-up game, he feels very confident on himself.
Lyon said, “I didn’t expect it to spin that much, but Day 1, it was ragging. It was good fun to bowl. Taking five wickets obviously helps but I think I’ve really worked hard for the past 24 months or a little bit more than that, really on my subcontinent game.
“I’ve looked at a lot of footage of Ashwin and all those guys, how they bowl over here and I’ve had to reassess with the way I approach. I’m happy with where I am at the moment, I’m feeling very confident, the ball is coming out of my hand real nicely.
“Whatever they throw at us, we’ll make sure that we’re working hard on our games and just controlling what we can control. Not really worried about what they’re doing. If we can do what we do best and prepare in the best possible way we can for the first Test, then we’re in good shape.”
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When Australia had toured in UAE last time in 2014/15, Lyon had picked up a total of eight wickets in two Test matches. However, Australia had suffered big defeats in both the games while the touring side failed to take all the ten wickets in the three out of four Pakistan’s innings.
Lyon feels he is now a better and more experienced bowler than four years ago and believes that he can now take the hard challenges on the Asian soil.
Lyon said, “I’ve had four years, I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. I had a good chat to Younis Khan after that series and he said, ‘The only reason I sweep is because I don’t trust my defence and I’m sweeping your best ball’.
“When you’re getting swept, the best ball that you bowl (as opposed to a bad one) is getting swept. I find it a little bit of a weird compliment that you’re bowling quite well but you keep getting swept. It can be annoying.
“I know I’m a lot more confident than what I was four years ago as well. The experience I’ve had in the last couple of Asian tours, hopefully that’ll put me in good stead. I know we’ve spoken about it as spinners, there’s no point hiding – I’m expecting them to come out and sweep. It’s going to be a good challenge.”
