Sydney: A former domestic mentor of Nathan Lyon has said that the Australian off-spinner has established himself `well and truly` as the No.1 slow bowler in the country.
Lyon predictably retained his place in the squad for the second Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval next week and has taken a big step to keeping his baggy green for the rest of the series by claiming crucial wickets in the second innings of the opening Test at the Gabba to help Australia to a decisive win.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a former first-class cricketer, Mark Higgs, who was Lyon`s former mentor at the ACT Comets, said that his protegee would continue to improve as he gained more experience, adding that he has learnt well on the job in first-class cricket.
Stating that Lyon is on a great learning curve and is showing his resilience, Higgs further said that the bowler closed off the room for England`s stroke-makers with good plans, adding that his plan of holding his lines tight is important against the likes of Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell.
The report mentioned that Lyon, who played just a few first-class games before making his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2011, proved to be a reliable foil for Australia`s fast bowlers in the first Test, holding down one end while they did the damage at the other.
