'Nathan Lyon Has Got Years To Go...': Australia Great On Star Spinner

07.03.2023 - 12:07 sports.ndtv.com

Nathan Lyon's longevity in international cricket has been "amazing" and the off-spinner should continue as long as he remains fit to compete at the elite level, feels former Australia batter Mike Hussey.

Lyon, 35, had a quiet start to Border-Gavaskar Trophy taking only one wicket in Nagpur but has come back with a bang snapping 18 scalps from next two Test matches, including a 10-for in Australia's win in Indore.

Asked how long can Lyon continue, Hussey said: "As long as he wants really. He's been amazing with his longevity and he's still pretty young really.

He's got years and years to go, as long as his body keeps holding up." There is a saying that spinners mature after 30 and Lyon with 479 wickets from 118 Tests is a shining example of that adage. "They always say spinners come into their peak into their 30s and maybe into their late 30s, it's a tough art and I don't see why he can't keep going for a long time," Hussey told Australia's SEN Radio.

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India rode Virat Kohli's brilliant century and Axar Patel's equally effective supporting act to take control on Day 4 of the fourth Test match against Australia on Sunday. While the Indian batsmen looking quite comfortable against the Australia bowlers, veteran spinner Nathan Lyon was able to claim a massive milestone. With the dismissal of KS Bharat, Lyon became the highest overseas wicket-taker in Test matches on Indian soil. He currently has 55 wickets from 11 matches in India and he surpassed the record held by former England spinner Derek Underwood. Underwood had 54 wickets against India in away matches from 16 games with best figures of 5 for 84.

India vs Australia - "There's Still A Result": Nathan Lyon's Huge Prediction For Ahmedabad Test

Nathan Lyon may have got just a single wicket after sending down 30-odd overs on the day but he feels that his effort on Saturday during India's first innings was way better than his 11-wicket match haul in Indore on a track designed for spinners. India finished the third day at 289 for 3 in reply to Australia's 480 on a good batting deck. "It's more of a patient game. When the pitch is like Indore... I felt like I bowled better today than what I did in Indore. And it's just coming down to doing your basics well enough for long enough," Lyon said. For him, Tests like these are decided in the last half an hour and right now it is on even keel.

Watch: Virat Kohli's Intriguing Chat With Nathan Lyon Caught On Stump Mic, Video Goes Viral

Virat Kohli reached his first Test half-century since January 2022 during Day 3 of the ongoing fourth Test against Australia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. On Saturday, Kohli hit an unbeaten 59 after Shubman Gill had scored his second Test ton to take India to 289/3 at stumps against Australia. However, Kohli had a nervy start to his innings as he got off the mark on the 12th ball, with Nathan Lyon putting constant pressure on him from one end.

"India Need...": Australia Great Bewildered At This Star's Absence From Rohit Sharma-Led Squad

The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team suffered a rare loss at home in the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Indore on Friday. On a rank turner, most of the Indian batters barring the exception of Cheteshwar Pujara and Shreyas Iyer, could not dish out a gritty display as India lost by nine wickets. With the win, Australia have become the first team to enter the World Test Championship final while India's chances are in a bit of jeopardy. They need to win the fourth Test to ensure that their qualification chances are not dependent on other teams' results.

Nathan Lyon proving to be Australia’s unglamorous linchpin in India

I n Bengaluru in 2017, Nathan Lyon took eight for 50; his best figures in a Test innings. He dismissed India’s key players at their peaks: Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane. He toiled for more than 22 overs, and later a further 33. He put his teammates into a dominant position with a modest target to chase. Then he watched them lose.In Indore in 2023, Nathan Lyon took eight wickets for the second time. After a long day of off-spin bowling, the figures were a similar eight for 64. This time he took them in the third innings of the match, not the first. Even so, like a fold in the fabric of space-time, echoes of 2017 kept coming through.

"To Be Honest": Nathan Lyon Picks 'Massive' Moment For Australia In Indore Test

Australian spinner Nathan Lyon termed India batter Cheteshwar Pujara's dismissal in the second innings a "massive" moment in the game and lauded his stand-in skipper Steve Smith for taking the catch, saying that he "would not trade him for anyone". Nathan Lyon's eight-wicket haul helped Australia skittle out India for 163 runs in the second inning, leaving the visitors just 76 runs away from a win in the third Test here at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Thursday. There is no one Nathan would rather have stood at slip to him than Steve Smith after he pulled off a brilliant catch to dismiss Pujara and leave the visitors confident of a win at the end of the second day of the match.