… Spinner happy to be unassuming assassin

NATHAN Lyon isn’t bothered that many continue to underestimate his skills in the wake of his match-winning five-wicket haul in the Boxing Day Test. Instead, the off-spinner likes to turn that to his advantage.As the Australians target a five-nil whitewash in the Commonwealth Bank Ashes Series, Lyon responded to comments by former England skipper Nasser Hussein that suggested England’s batting collapse was all the more embarrassing because the damage was inflicted by the unassuming spinner.
“If it were a one-off or if Shane Warne were in the Australian side you would say ‘Fair enough’ and even when Mitchell Johnson was blowing England away at the Gabba and the WACA it was understandable because it was fiery, old-fashioned, proper fast bowling,” Hussein wrote in the Daily Mail. “But there were no excuses for England here.
“Lyon is just a good, honest professional and to get bowled out by him on a day-three Melbourne pitch is unacceptable for England. And the batsmen have been under-performing for at least a year now.”
Lyon took 5-50 in 17 overs to become just the sixth Australian off-spinner to take 100 Test wickets, but the 26-year-old isn’t worried by being damned with such faint praise.
“It doesn’t really worry me what England thinks,” said Lyon.
When asked if being underestimated worked to his advantage, Lyon said: “Yeah, definitely. If they don’t have respect for any player that plays Test match cricket you’re going to come unstuck somewhere along the line.
“Everyone who plays Test match cricket, they must be doing something right on the cricket field, so yeah I’ve learned to respect everyone as your opponent.
“I’m not really fazed about what England commentators are saying. Good luck to Nasser but I’m not really fazed about it.”
Lyon said the Australian celebrations after the eight-wicket victory at the MCG were more restrained than in Perth, as the side aims to start 2014 with only the third series whitewash in Ashes history.
“It’s been a great result so far, to have four-nil going into the last Test but that’s our biggest goal, to win this series five-nil,” said Lyon
“It was probably our best team victory this series, I believe. The position that we were in and the way we came out and fought and were able to turn the game on its head and get the right result for Australia.”
Lyon said the impact of his first five-wicket haul on Australian soil still hadn’t sunk in.
“It’s pretty special, the first one at home, against England, the Ashes – you dream about that as a kid so I’m pretty lucky,” he said.
“But I’d rather go unnoticed, so I’m more than happy for Mitchell Johnson to take all of (the attention).”
While doubts surrounding the fitness of Ryan Harris and Shane Watson have seen Alex Doolan drafted into the squad, Lyon said he expected the same 11 to play in the final Test at the SCG.
And while some commentators have highlighted the age of several Australian players, Lyon says the more mature players have been a key to the home side’s dominance this summer.
“Boof’s been fantastic and Michael Clarke as well,” said Lyon. “Having the likes of Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson, those older guys in the side they’ve been able to put a calming influence over the younger ones.
“It’s been really good and they’ve been great leaders and the younger ones have been able to jump on the back of them and really enjoy and thrive.
“They’ve played enough cricket to know what to do and when to do it. So if we keep learning as youngsters in the Australian team we’ll keep enjoying it.”