“You blokes will stuff up”: Nathan Lyon shares how Rangana Herath’s advice changed his approach towards bowling

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has revealed what Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath said to him on the 2016 tour.

After the T20Is and ODIs, Sri Lanka and Australia will battle it out against each other in a two-match test series starting on 29 June 2022. Both the matches will be played at the Galle International Stadium, which is a heaven for the spinners.

Australia travelled to Sri Lanka last in 2016, where the Sri Lankan team completed a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series. The visitors also have three spinners in their ranks in Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Swepson, and Matt Kuhnemann, whereas Glenn Maxwell is also added to the team. Nathan Lyon will lead the spin attack of the Aussies.

Nathan Lyon reveals Rangana Herath’s advice

Nathan Lyon has revealed his conversation with Rangana Herath on the 2016 Australia’s Sri Lankan tour. Rangana Herath said the Australian bowlers would bowl all over the space instead of bowling at the same spot. Lyon said that he took of Herath and he still sticks with it.

On the 2016 tour, Rangana Herath was the highest wicket-taker with 28 wickets, whereas Nathan Lyon and Dilruwan Perera scalped 16 wickets and 15 wickets, respectively.

“I had a conversation with him [Herath] after the Test series,” Lyon said.

“I said, ‘What do you do that I don’t do?’ And he said, ‘I know that if I put the ball in one spot, you blokes will stuff up’. Those were his exact words.”

Nathan Lyon will lead the spin-bowling line-up of the Australian side in the upcoming three-match series at Galle. Considering Lyon’s incredible performances on the 2016 tour, all the eyes will be on him yet again.

Lyon, who has scalped 427 test wickets at an average of 32.15 in 108 matches has scalped 65 wickets in the subcontinent at an average of 26.44. He was not great in the last series against Pakistan as well earlier this year. The pitch at the Galle has always been a spin-friendly wicket.

In the four tests played at Galle last year, spinner Lasith Embuldeniya scalped 28 wickets, whereas Ramesh Mendis scalped 20 wickets in three games.