Lyon king is 'first picked': Johnson

When Australia's selectors sit down to select the Test XI the first player they pick is not the captain or his deputies, but veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

That's the belief of Test great Mitch Johnson, who witnessed Lyon defy logic and claim player-of-the-match honours on a green wicket in Australia's comprehensive second Domain Test win in Perth.

"He's definitely the first one picked," Johnson said on the latest episode of The Unplayable Podcast. 

"Tim Paine as the captain, I think he's done an exceptional job. 

"But Nathan Lyon, the GOAT, he's definitely first picked for me.

"We're seeing absolute brilliance by him. I'm not sure 'unbelievable' is the word, but it just goes to show all the hard work and persistence of him. 

"He really does love the game, he wears the Baggy Green with pride, he'll be loving singing the team song."

Lyon claimed 5-67 in India's first innings at Perth Stadium on pitch that had everyone, from pundits to the players, convinced it would be suited to fast bowling and fast bowlers.

While the wicket did provide the cherished pace and bounce fast bowlers crave, those characteristics also suit Lyon down to the ground.

He used his subtle variation, fizzing over-spin and strategic nous to capture eight Indian wickets in the Test, including the key wicket of rival captain and the world's best batsman Virat Kohli in the final innings. 

Lyon has now dismissed Kohli seven times in Test cricket – more than any other bowler – and 31-year-old has rocketed to 342 Test wickets to sit at No.25 on the list of all-time leading Test wicket-takers.  

His importance to Australia is not lost on Test captain Paine.

"It does seem like he is getting better," Paine said.

"I feel like at any stage you can throw him the ball. It doesn't matter at what end, or who is on strike, what time of day it is ... he loves it, and he loves getting in the contest, even with the bat at the moment.         

"I think his game keeps going to another level. I can feel guys growing in confidence around Nathan and that's what you want from your senior players."

Domain Test Series v India

Dec 6-10: India won by 31 runs

Dec 14-18: Australia win by 146 runs

Dec 26-30: Third Test, MCG

Jan 3-7: Fourth Test, SCG

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c, wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitch Marsh (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar