New Delhi:
India vs Australia Pink Ball Test, Nathan Lyon on Team India: Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon on Wednesday said that India is a team of stars (outstanding players) and Australia is focussed on the entire team which is incredibly talented rather than just competing against ‘extraordinary’ players like Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli. India made a great start by winning the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by 295 runs. Kohli and Bumrah had performed brilliantly in this match.
“When I look at the Indian team, it looks like a group of superstars. Cricket is a team game though. It takes a team to win,” Lyon said ahead of the five-match day-night Test starting here on Friday. There are some other exceptional players in India along with Bumrah, but it is not just about the great players.
“The rest of the players in the Indian team are also incredibly talented. They are a great cricket team. We are not just focusing on any one player,” Lyon said on the sidelines of the team’s practice session with the pink ball.
He said, “We will have respect for every Indian cricketer who takes the field on Friday. It does not mean that we will not compete. We respect them, but we want to play our style of cricket and be a great team.” “We are determined to compete hard against India, one of the best teams in the world.”
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has 536 wickets in his name in Tests, but India replaced him in the eleven with all-rounder Washington Sundar in the Perth Test match. This decision was shocking for Lyon.
He said, “It was shocking but it shows what level of players they have in their team. Ashwin has more than 530 wickets in his name, Ravindra Jadeja has more than 300 Test wickets in his name. In such a situation, there are alternative players in their team. level is revealed.” He said, “I have no control over who they select. Whoever they take the field with, it will be a good challenge.”
Lyon, however, was not surprised by the aggressive attitude adopted against him by Perth debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy. He said, “I was not surprised by it. He was trying to hit boundaries, it gives me a chance to take wickets. Hopefully I will get some more chances like this.”
