Nathan Lyon is among the 17 Australian off-spinners who have bowled in India, and his tally of 15 wickets from three Tests at 37.33 is the second highest from among them.
“There is going to be a different challenge lying ahead for us. We have a really good squad,” said Lyon.
“We trained really well; scuffed up the wicket (at Dubai) to try and replicate what we will get here.
“It’s going to reverse, and the big quicks are going to play a role; it will be a good challenge for the whole team.
“As a bowling unit with big quickies, we have to take 20 wickets. If you take 20 wickets, you are doing the right thing.”
Lyon said he has watched a lot of R. Ashwin in action this season. “I have been watching a lot of footage of Ashwin: the way he goes about it, his different release points. He is a world-class spinner and the best at the moment. I have been studying him a lot,” Lyon said.
“There are a few things, as spinners in the Australian team, we have certainly spoken about. Hopefully we can put them in to practice and hit a few pads.
“There are a few changes, but I am not going to change my whole action for this tour. I am aware you need to change a few things here and there.”
Lyon said he enjoys a good rapport with left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe who will be another of Australia’s slow-bowling options on this tour.
Australia’s new ball operator Josh Hazlewood is hopeful of getting the SG ball to swing, conventional and reverse, to pose the batsmen questions in the four-Test series against India beginning here on Thursday.
“We have all been working on different things and they are coming on nicely,” Hazlewood told the media on Tuesday.
“I have not bowled with the SG ball before this tour. It’s a little bit different.
“I have been practising with it for the last few weeks. The brand new balls swing a little bit and once it gets old it reverses a bit as well. There are good signs there.”
Two years ago Cricket Australia made a smart move by withdrawing Hazlewood from IPL-8, so that the young fast bowler could focus on Test cricket.
Executing plans
“We are prepared well this time; we trained and practised in Dubai and Mumbai. We have done everything we have to do leading to the first Test.
“It’s just a question of putting our plans into action,” Hazlewood said.
It will be interesting to see how Steve Smith deploys Starc and Hazelwood — either in short spells as South Africa’s Hansie Cronje used his quicks or give them extended spells.
Pointing out the likely challenges on slow Indian pitches, Hazlewood explained: “Obviously, first of all, it’s the bounce. In Australia, you get good bounce most of the games which you are not going to get here.
“You have to look at getting five wickets in other ways, whether through reverse swing or cutters on wickets that can spin and grip as well.’’
Hazlewood also talked about the ball not getting good carry. “You expect that (nicks not carrying) to happen from day one. It’s still going to carry with the harder ball.
“It’s quite different in Australia where the nicks will carry most of the time. You just have to head around it. I guess once the ball gets a little bit softer, nicks are not going to carry.”
When told that the curator, former Maharashtra fast bowler Pandurang Salgaonkar, expects the ball to fly around, Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon had a hearty laugh.
