Australia’s premier spinner Nathan Lyon has called on the top-order batters to achieve big scores against India in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Australia are set to host India later this year and are keen to clinch the five-match series which they haven’t won since 2014-15.
“We need big runs. We need the guys, who are talented enough to get the hundred. The likes of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head, all the top order. I don’t want 101 or 107, I want 180 and 200,” Lyon replied to Australian women’s team captain Alysa Healy on the “Willow Talk” podcast.
“If I will have a day off, I am pretty sure that I will be more effective and can help my team win the Test match,” he added.
He further spoke about his anticipation for the upcoming contest against Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is known for his aggressive batting and good at facing spin bowlers. The Aussie stated that he had an extensive conversation with England left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, with whom he played at Lancashire.
“I had a really good chat with Tom Hartley, just about the way he went about it, when Jaiswal went after him. That’s something I picked up from him. Will Sarfaraz come over here or will it be Rahul? They got a side full of superstars,” he added.
The 36-year-old went on to say that he is excited about reviving his rivalry with Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant in the upcoming series.
“Having Virat out here, Rishabh Pant has been picked for the Tests against Bangladesh, so that’s an amazing story. It’s going to be pretty big,” said the Aussie spinner.
Lyon said he disagrees with the view that Test cricket is dying, noting that the series against India is still very much on people’s minds.
“I am really forward to play the five-match series. This series is getting bigger and bigger and when people says that Test cricket is dying, I disagree. When you walk on the street and talk to the local people, they are already saying ‘India this summer eh’. This series is in the back of people’s mind,” he said further.
It is worth noting that Australia have not won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since their 2-0 victory in the 2014-15 series. They have then suffered a straight series of defeats on home soil. In the 2020-21 series, they took a 1-0 lead against India after they bowled them out for 36 in Adelaide. Unfortunately, they then struggled and India made a stunning comeback and clinched the series with notable wins at the MCG and Gabba. Despite this, Lyon expects that Australia can achieve a series whitewash this time.
“It’s been ten years since we have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. I started thinking about this series when England were over in India, watching them to go about it. I love the game and I will watch a decent Test match but I have eyes on this series for a long time now. My prediction is 5-0 to Australia,” he concluded.
