Nathan Lyon went from the hunted to the hunter in a standout performance for Australia on day one of the fourth Test at Durham.
His surname and record suggests that should have always been the case, but Lyon has had to overcome a difficult year, where he’s been dropped twice and his standing as Australia’s No.1 spinner brought into question.
Bouncing back from an indifferent showing at Old Trafford, Lyon’s inspired four-wicket haul on a Durham pitch that wasn’t spinning helped pin a slow-scoring England to 9-238 at stumps.
England scored at just 2.64 runs an over.
Lyon’s big kill, and the turning point of the Test so far, came when he had Kevin Pietersen caught behind for 26 in the 50th over.
Pietersen had taken Lyon to the cleaners at Old Trafford, but bowling around the wicket, the Australian had his revenge.
It triggered a collapse which saw England lose 7-65 as Australia’s Ashes resurgence continued.
Ryan Harris (2-70) picked up two at the end, while Jackson Bird, Shane Watson and Peter Siddle took a wicket each.
Bird trapped Alastair Cook (51) lbw with the ball of the day that jagged back off the seam.
On the Australia A tour, Lyon was wary of legspinner Fawad Ahmed’s rise through the ranks and was then blindsided by teenager Ashton Agar’s shock debut for the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.
Lyon was forced to sit out the first two Tests of the Ashes, and was also inexplicably dropped on the tour of India for Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell.
The 24-year-old boasts a good record of 81 wickets from his 24 Tests to date, but denied his confidence had been rocked by being in and out of the side.
However he admitted the competition has spurred him on.
“Being the No.1 spinner over the last couple of years, you’re the hunted so everyone wants to take your spot,” Lyon said after taking 4-42.
“Obviously that motivates you to keep getting better and better.
“It didn’t knock my confidence around (being dropped). I knew the reason why I wasn’t playing. I was obviously disappointed, there’s no doubt about that.
“I knew what I had to do to keep putting my hand up for selection and I’m happy with the way I’m bowling at the moment.”
Lyon’s performance was based on persistence and strength of character rather than turn from a slow deck.
So far, Australia’s spinners have been completely outshone by rival Graeme Swann, who with 19 scalps, is the leading wicket-taker of the series.
Quietly-spoken Lyon said he strives to match Swann and the world’s leading spinners.
“I want to compete with the best in the world at my craft,” he said.
“I’ve still got a long way to go and I’ve got to keep working hard to achieve that goal.”
On the first ball Pietersen faced, he tried to hit Lyon out of the ground, in a display of utter contempt.
But brought back by Clarke for a second spell with England looking comfortable at 2-149 – Lyon got his man pushing.
Lyon’s first wicket was a bat-pad catch from Jonathan Trott (49), and he went on to get Ian Bell caught in the deep and Jonny Bairstow trapped lbw.
But Pietersen was the highlight.
“It was a great personal effort you could say,” Lyon said of his day.
“Pietersen, they’re the challenges that I love, someone taking the game to you.
“That’s why we play our cricket. There’s no doubt he’s one of the best batters in the world.”