5 problems Australia should deal with ahead of the Ashes

#3 Nathan Lyon is yet to prove that he’s capable of leading the bowling attack

Nathan Lyon

Ever since Shane Warne retired, the Aussies have struggled to find a spinner who could get them wickets and perform consistently at home and away.

Among the various options tried, Nathan Lyon with his nice, smooth action and pin-point accuracy has established himself as Australia’s premier spinner in the test match format for the past few years. With 247 wickets from 63 test matches at an acceptable average of 33.13, Lyon has indeed justified his position in the team.

But it has been a rather dull, uneventful and frustrating last one year for Lyon where he has tasted little success and leaked runs which is giving Australia another headache. Considering he is the team’s most experienced bowler, this is a cause of concern heading into the Ashes.

In their tour to India, Lyon attained his career best figures of 8/50 but overall in a series where the pitches were stacked in favour of the spinners, Lyon and O’Keefe didn’t cause too many worries for the Indian batsmen, barring few instances of brilliance.

This series against Bangladesh gives the right opportunity for Lyon to re-gain his lost form and consistency which Steve Smith is seeking. As the most experienced bowler in the team, it’s natural for the Smith to look at Lyon to provide him wickets and break partnerships.

With the likes of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazelwood expected to be the biggest strength for the Australians, Lyon should take on the leadership role and be a steady, calm influence for Smith to rely on against England.

If Lyon starts troubling the batsmen more frequently, this Australian attack definitely becomes more potent and lethal. Also the English could focus their efforts mainly on countering the pace bowlers from Australia, so if Lyon gets into his wicket taking mode often then he could be the X-factor which could help his team regain the Ashes.