The great Muttiah Muralitharan, clad in an Australian team-issue shirt, has been teaching Nathan Lyon to bowl a delivery that can go the other way in a powerful demonstration of how old grudges have been discarded in Australia's desperation to solve its spin problems.

Muralitharan, the most successful bowler in the history of Test cricket and the most famous exponent of the doosra, has been hired as a coaching consultant for the Test and limited-overs series against Pakistan in October.

Murali talks shop with Australian spinner Nathan Lyon. Credit:Cricket Australia

His job will be to prepare Australia's batsmen for the bewildering task of facing Pakistan's doosra bowler Saeed Ajmal and to add a touch of mystery to the bowling of Lyon.

But he won't teach the Australian Test spinner the doosra, instead focusing on the carrom ball that is practised by Indian off-spinner Ravi Ashwin and released with a snapping of the middle finger and thumb. It is easier to teach the carrom ball to a classical finger spinner such as Lyon.