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

02.03.2023 - 19:57 sports.ndtv.com

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.

While Australia worked their way through Indian batting line-up, Pujara stood tall and threatened to leave a target for Aussies that would give Indian spinners a chance.

cricket 2023 Test Nathan Lyon Steve Smith Rohit Sharma Steven Smith Australia India

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.

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

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.

"There Was A Thought": Ex-India Star Identifies Unlikely Hero For Visitors In Indore Test

Former India opener Aakash Chopra pointed out the reasons behind India's defeat against Australia in the third Test encounter in Indore and even identified an ‘unlikely' hero of sorts for the visitors. The former cricketer was all praise for Umesh Yadav who thrilled everyone with his brand of fast bowling in the first innings. Umesh was in fiery form as he claimed three wickets and was able to produce pace on a wicket that completely supported the spinners. Chopra also lauded Ravichandran Ashwin for his bowling but was critical of a few batters including Shreyas Iyer for their shot selections on the wicket.

"This Pitch Talk Is Just Getting...": India Skipper Rohit Sharma's Blunt Take After Indore Test Loss

India skipper Rohit Sharma expressed his displeasure over the talks around the pitches for the ongoing India vs Australia Test series. The pitch in Nagpur, that hosted the first match, became a talk of the town even before the start of the series. The second and third Tests took place in Delhi and Indore, respectively, and the surfaces of both the venues also came under the radar of critics for the amount of turn they offered to the spinners. It is worth noting that all the three matches ended in less than three days.