Lyon stresses importance of spin as Adelaide Oval set to offer turn

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has underlined the importance of spin in Test cricket, insisting the game becomes more compelling the moment the ball starts turning, as Adelaide Oval curator Damien Hough pledged to ensure spinners remain relevant in Australia’s conditions.

Speaking in Adelaide ahead of the next Ashes Test, Lyon said pitches that allow spin are vital for the balance and spectacle of the game, despite his own limited role so far in the series. Lyon has bowled just two overs in the Ashes to date and has not been selected in two of Australia’s last three Tests, leaving him stranded on 562 Test wickets — just two short of overtaking Glenn McGrath to become Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker in Tests.

“As soon as the ball spins, there’s more eyes on TVs,” Lyon said. “I stand by that. Look at conditions in places like India — when the ball is spinning, people pay attention. Spin is incredibly important in Test cricket and in the game overall, no matter the format.”

Lyon was speaking on a day of celebration at Adelaide Oval, where he shared a moment with Hough, a former colleague, after being inducted into the stadium’s Avenue of Honour. The recognition marked Lyon’s memorable haul of 12 wickets against India at the venue in 2014, placing him alongside legends such as Sir Donald Bradman, Shane Warne and Mitchell Johnson.

Hough, meanwhile, was adamant that Adelaide Oval would not become a venue where spinners are sidelined. “I don’t want to be the curator at Adelaide where you don’t pick a spinner,” he said. “Spin needs to play a part here. It always has.”

Australia’s selectors have often opted against a frontline spinner in recent day-night Tests, including at Adelaide, where Lyon bowled just one over in the pink-ball Test against India in 2024. That match, as well as other recent fixtures, featured significant seam movement and bounce, leading to the perception that spin was unnecessary under lights.

However, Hough believes conditions this week will be different. He pointed to recent Sheffield Shield matches at Adelaide Oval, where spinners have played a decisive role, and confirmed the pitch will revert to the Santa Ana Couch grass that has been used for most seasons since 2013.

“That [India] pitch used a different grass type, which we’ve since abandoned,” Hough said. “We’re going back to what we know. The aim is always a contest between bat and ball. Once the coin is tossed, it’s over to the players.”

Shield cricket this season has provided strong evidence of balance at the venue, with spinners such as Doug Warren and Mitchell Swepson enjoying significant success, while seamers and batters have also made meaningful contributions. All red-ball Shield matches at Adelaide have produced results, further reinforcing confidence in the surface.

Lyon believes such variation is essential in Test cricket. “Test cricket goes for five days,” he said. “There’s time for pitches to wear and for spinners to produce their craft. That variation is what makes the game special.”

With hot weather forecast for Adelaide and England opting to persist with part-time offspinner Will Jacks over specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir, Lyon appears poised to return to Australia’s XI — and to remind audiences why spin still matters in Australian Test cricket.