Dean Elgar believes Proteas kept Nathan Lyon quiet

South African opening batsman Dean Elgar remarked the hosts had faced senior spinner, Nathan Lyon, quite well. In the ongoing four-match Test series, Lyon didn’t have much of a success, as of now.

“In general I think we’ve played him quite well. The left-handers are always going to have a tough time against him, with the extra rough that’s created and the wickets seem to be a lot a dryer,” Cricket Australia quoted Lyon.

The gruelling Test series stands tied at one each. The wily off-spinner Lyon managed to bag six wickets in four outings in Durban and Port Elizabeth respectively. The scalps included four left-handers.

“Our right-handed batsmen coming in to the mix is quite important for us,” Elgar stated.

This could be further justified by his 21 wickets in which 18 were of left-handers. Lyon dismissed Moeen Ali seven times in the five-match traditional Ashes series.

Both teams will face off in the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town on Thursday (March 22).

In a nutshell, the left-handed Elgar is pleased to see-off Lyon well. The prominent bowler has been the leading wicket-taker in 2017.

“I don’t know what he’s trying to do hitting me through square leg twice, but it’s another good challenge you always have with different cricketers around the world,” Lyon remarked.

Pertinently, the massive threat for left-handed batsmen, Lyon made this miserable for English batters at home in the Magellan Ashes campaign. He had a terrific home season.

Successive against the southpaw, the New South Wales-based bowler is yet to deliver big. However, in the Rainbow Nation, Lyon is aiming big after pouncing on Elgar.

“I don’t know what he’s trying to do hitting me through square leg twice, but it’s another good challenge you always have with different cricketers around the world,” Lyon reiterated.

The 30-year-old Elgar had a solitary fifty under his belt in four innings in the ongoing series against Australia.

Interestingly, the slow left-arm orthodox bowler also claimed a wicket.

Moreover, the Welkom-born batsman had made the admission that he struggled against Lyon. He got dismissed twice by the prolific bowler.

“I’ve handled it quite crap. In the past, I’ve handled him quite well, but I do know he’s developed his game massively in the last two years and I also need to be mindful of that and trust my defence against him,” Elgar said.

Interestingly, Lyon is just four wickets away to complete his 300-wicket milestone in the Test fold. He is surprised over sending Dean Elgar back to the hut in the all-important series.

“I bowled five balls and got him out twice but I also I bowled 20 overs in the first innings and couldn’t get him out once, so it’s a challenging one but it’s a good challenge, it’s Test cricket,” Lyon concludes.

On the other hand, Lyon has a liking for the challenge, and he keeps pushing himself for delivering the goods while donning the whites.

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