This summer a mouth-watering contest awaits between the world’s two best Test teams.
Australia, the number one ranked side and the holder of the World Test Championship, will be very eager to break their decade-long losing streak in the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
India, a team of modern superstars will be desperate to keep this winning culture alive, with this tour likely being the last time we see the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Australian conditions.
Within this series there is a multitude of individual battles that will add layers to the contest. One of Australia’s most important players will be their offspinner, the G.O.A.T, Nathan Lyon.
The spinner has played India a lot in his career. In 27 tests he has picked up 121 wickets at an average of 31.56. He has had success in both India and Australia.
In Australia, we can recount a number of match-winning performances, including that 12-wicket haul in Adelaide in 2014 and eight wickets in Perth in 2018.
Lyon is a vital cog for Australia against India, and this is displayed by the stats. Against India in Australia, Lyon averages 37.11 with the ball and in wins (seven out of 15 games), this average drops to 26.93.
However, in recent tours, India has figured out a way of negating the effects of Lyon.
In India’s six most recent tests in Australia, including three wins, two draws and a freak loss in Adelaide, resulting in back-to-back series wins for India, Lyon has struggled. He has taken just 14 wickets at an average of 58.85.
Just to show that this problem can’t be blamed on the pitches, in these same six Test matches Indian spinners, Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar have taken 35 wickets at an average of 26.26.
Lyon will be well aware that he has lacked in recent times in the crunch moments against India, and I’m sure he will be working hard to formulate a plan for each Indian batsman.
Lyon’s past success against India has come about due to his matchups with Indian batsmen.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Thanks to the foot holes created by left-arm pacer Mitch Starc, Lyon has a rough outside the right-handers off-stump, bringing bat-pad and other close-in fielders in the game.
As a result, Lyon has picked the wicket of a few Indian batsmen quite a number of times including Virat Kohli (seven times at 75.6), Rohit Sharma (nine times at 23.0), Ajinkya Rahane (10 times at 37.3) and Cheteshwar Pujara (13 times at 43.9), albeit at varying levels of averages.
This time Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara won’t be there, India will still have a right-hand heavy batting lineup.
However, there are a couple of players India has that could make the difference.
Whilst usually left-handers are perceived as sitting ducks against off-spin, dashing young lefties Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant will be keen to take Lyon on.
Both players are very aggressive against spinners, hitting a lot of 6s.
Pant, of course, has previously had success in Australia, spurring India in an unlikely chase at the SCG and then getting the job done at the Gabba in the 20/21 series.
Overall, after seven Tests in Australia, Pant averages 62.40. His battle against Lyon has always been fascinating, as he continues to take him on even if the field is spread out.
So far Lyon has dismissed Pant five times, conceding 45.8 runs per wicket, at an economy of 3.96. Jaiswal is the new young sensation of Indian cricket.
He has had great success in his career so far scoring 1217 runs at an average of 64.05 with a man of the series against Bazball earlier this year. Jaiswal is known for his aggressive attitude.
Nathan Lyon. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
He is on 29 sixes in test cricket in 2024 just four shy of the most in one year, hitting a six versus spin every 31 balls. How Lyon bowls to these two players will be key for Australia.
The spinner has actually recently talked to the media about both Pant and Jaiswal.
On Willow Talk with Brad Haddin, Adam Peacock and Alyssa Healey, Lyon mentioned that Jaiswal is someone that will be a new challenge for him and he mentioned how he talked to Tom Hartley, English left-arm spinner, during his county stint, about how to approach bowling to Jaiswal.
It would be interesting to know what insights Hartley could offer considering Jaiswal scored 152 runs at a strike rate of 91 against the left armer earlier this year getting dismissed just once.
Lyon emphasized that it has been 10 years since Australia beat India in a test series and it’s easy to tell the desperation to win is there.
The offie talked about the challenge of bowling to Pant with India’s Star Sports, mentioning he’s not afraid of getting hit for six but he does have fun with such a challenge.
Lyon’s form will be crucial for Australia in the upcoming series against India.
India will look to continue their aggression against him meaning Lyon’s ability to adapt and strategize will be key to regaining Australia’s pride in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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