Nathan Lyon will play a crucial role for Australia as they look to stave off a desperate India, according to Josh Hazlewood.
Lyon was at the centre of Australia's subcontinent turnaround in 2017 as he ended the calendar year with the most wickets in Tests.
The off-spinner's performances helped his side nullify India skipper Virat Kohli, who has gone on to new heights since he was humbled at home against the Australians last February.
Since that series, in which he averaged a career-low 9.20, Kohli has scored 1834 runs at 73.36 in 16 Tests. Only England opposite Joe Root has scored more runs - 80 more - but has spent 16 more innings at the crease.
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Most recently, Kohli was by far and away India's best in their 4-1 series loss to England in the winter. Across the five Tests, Kohli banished the demons of a nightmarish 2014 tour to pile on 593 runs against the English. India's next best, KL Rahul, was nearly 300 runs behind his captain.
It was much of the same the last time India toured Australia - Kohli hit four hundreds in as many Tests in 2014-15, with his 692 runs in the series over 200 more than his closest teammate's haul.
However, he is mortal - analysis by Cricviz writer Ben Jones showed that Kohli has been vulnerable to fuller deliveries that come in off the seam. Of Kohli's 18 dismissals in Tests in 2018, 14 have fallen to right-arm pace.
The Cricviz figures show Kohli - away from home in 2018 - averages 66.33 against good length and 69.33 against short-pitched bowling, but only 46.28 against full deliveries.
In the winter, James Anderson failed to grab Kohli's wicket, while Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes got him twice each - however, instead of obsessing over Kohli's wicket, England rotated their spinners to keep him within reach. With wickets falling around Kohli, the quicks had an opportunity to do the damage on him.
According to Hazlewood, Lyon will again look to play the anchor role he did so well in the Ashes last summer.
"With a player of that calibre you need a few options. It'll depend on conditions and the wickets we get, as to what plan we go with," Hazlewood told reporters in Adelaide on Monday.
"[Kohli] is one of those guys who can score pretty freely, but there's a number of guys in this India side that can too.
"Risks bring rewards... it's about weighing that up and seeing how long we stay at each plan for.
"[Lyon] is the key... for someone like Mitch [Starc], who does bowl shorter spells, and Pat [Cummins] from time to time.
"It worked really well in the Shield game two weeks ago, Lyon bowled from one end after the new ball and we filtered through from the other end.
"You hardly get a run off him, and he takes wickets... he makes the group what it is."
Of Kohli's 116 dismissals in Test cricket, three bowlers sit at the top of his tree with five each.
England's two-most prolific quicks Anderson and Broad hold two spots. The other? Nathan Lyon.
Lyon only took Kohli's wicket once in the 2017 series in India, but it was a mental victory for the offie - in the second Test in Bengaluru, the India skipper misread a flat delivery and was trapped dead in front, hands raised above his head without offering a stroke. It made for some brilliant Shooting Stars content, and Lyon would go on to take eight wickets in the innings - but India would win the match and the series.
Speaking to cricket.com.au, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting revealed how the Aussies can neutralise Kohli, saying they must draw on the success of others to find the chinks in the India skipper's armour.
For Hazlewood, Lyon is one of those 'others', saying the off-spinner's ability to tie down an end, so skipper Tim Paine can rotate the quicks at the other, will be a key to Australia's success.
"It puts the pressure on, especially if we don't have an all-rounder, which we're most likely going to have," Hazlewood continued.
"You deteriorate towards the end of the day in those spells, you're coming back earlier and earlier each time, and the pace drops off and the fatigue sets in, and then they get on top of you.
"That rarely happens with Gaz."
