The irony of it is that Lyon has actually improved a little this summer. He’s varied his approach, his pace and his arm angles, and at times he’s taken some stunningly good off-spinner’s wickets – like the one return he’s had for this match – which indicates he’s put a lot of thought and practice into his game. He’s dedicated to the task, and Australia needs that kind of attitude.

Whoever replaces Lyon, leggie or offie, will be subject to the same scrutiny. He will be subject to the same unhelpful pitches. Criticism of Lyons’ bowling tactics are based on the premise that Australia still has pitches that respond to the finger-spinner’s timeless tactic of bowling well outside the right-hander’s off stump and working it in. On unsympathetic pitches around this wide brown land, that’s a recipe for an off-side caning, and more criticism. Leg-spinner Steve O’Keefe is an exciting prospect, no doubt.

He will be suited to Subcontinent conditions, and he and Lyon should bowl in tandem over there. But what they both need is patience and practice. O’Keefe and Lyon need as much cricket, in as many formats, as they can get. They need to leave Australia in advance of the Australian team to India and they need to experience the pitches over there until bowling on them is second-nature. They need mentors, in Australia and overseas, they need coaches, and they need one-another for support in a team in which it will be easy for a non-performing spinner to be a pariah.

Australia needs the spinners it has at its disposal firing at first-class level, and for the sake of our bowlers and batsmen, our first-class pitches need to return to encouraging all forms of bowling.