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I don't understand this blind devotion to Lyon and never have. The run he's been given outweighs his abilities and borders on the old adage - similarly applied to Shane Watson - that it's harder to get out of the Aussie team than in. That adage needs slight amendment because it seems to apply to particular players. It's perplexing because there have been a number of scapegoats for poor team performance in the last 5 years or so with Shaun Marsh, Khawaja, Starc, Ferguson, Nevill and Voges being dumped regardless of form or opportunity. I doubt there could be few arguments that after 20 Tests (a reasonable batch for examination) Lyon hadn't developed into a spinner who MUST be thrown the ball. Shane Warne was scathing of Captain Smith in the 2nd Pakistan Test for not bowling Lyon in the last session, because he bowled a great spell earlier. That spell saw Lyon slow the ball down and give it flight and was aided by some brilliant anticipatory fielding by Handscomb. That spell was reminiscent of his spell in the Matador Final. Frustratingly the large volume of evidence suggests these are rare and his default reaction is to bowl flatter and faster. The evidence of that was in the 3rd Pakistan Test when, with 350 runs to play with, he got tap from a couple of tailenders and went for 20 in an over and his reaction was to dart in medium pacers at 105kph. Surely a seasoned 63 Test veteran would be slowing it down? Strangely his supporters always use this as the reason to go with him. "We need to get Lyon on and if he throws it up and slows it down he'll clean up here". How many times has that happened?
The simple truth is he averages 34 after 60+ Tests and that isn't a go to man for a tight finish. Smith knows that and it's why he bowled himself in the 3rd Test to get thru to the new ball, rather than deferring the new ball and going with the 'spin twins'.
Warne states that the spinner should automatically get the ball to bowl from one end for the last 2 sessions on day 5. I disagree; a quality spinner should, otherwise you go with your bowlers with the best strikerates. That's what Smith did in Melbourne and he won the Test match by doing it.
I find it hard to see the evidence of Lyon improving this year as you state, with the Pakistan series return of 11/502 @ 45.63 being 11 runs worse than his career average! Ferguson did nothing wrong and has been consigned to the players who only played 1 Test to make way for youth that Smith can mould into his side for the next decade. It's time for a spinner to be added to that and they could do worse than choose between Agar, Zampa or Boyce and give them the best of that coaching & mentoring you were talking about. At least they are prepared to slow their flight down and more importantly they all actually spin the ball!
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