Team India is reeling from the shock it suffered during the opening day-night Test in Adelaide, for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, as it succumbed to an eight-wicket defeat within just two and a half days. Although India was right in the first innings, it could not come up with the same in the second innings.
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Despite the howler in Adelaide, India is deemed a firm favourite to bounce back in the remaining Tests, notwithstanding the side missing out on regular skipper Virat Kohli. Furthermore, Australian spinner Nathan Lyon is all-praise for Team India, primarily for prolific batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
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"I can't reveal secrets, to be honest with you. But, obviously, Pujara is a world-class batter and he is going to be a big challenge for us for the rest of the series. We spoke about him (Pujara) in depth before the series started, it was good to see a couple of plans come off in Adelaide, but we have got a couple more things. So, hopefully, if he does get in, we can put into ploy...it is always fun challenging yourself against the best players in the world and Pujara is definitely one of those guys," said Lyon during a press conference.
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"...Ajinkya Rahane and (Cheteshwar) Pujara, just to name a couple. But, you still got the likes of (KL) Rahul and (Mayank) Agarwal, who have been exceptional as well, so there is (are) enough guys in that squad to fill Virat's shoes. It is going to be a big challenge for us again and we will start our preparation really well, and make sure we are prepared to take on India again on (the) Boxing Day, it is going to be another big challenge for us," added Lyon.
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Speaking on being compared to Ashwin, Lyon reckoned, "Ashwin is a world-class bowler, to be honest. I have watched him a lot, especially when I had gone to tour India and the subcontinent to try and learn of him. But, he is a very cagey bowler, he has got all the variations."
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"He's very cagey with the way he changes his pace, so he is a very talented bowler. We are similar in a way, but we are very different as well, so I can't really compare myself to him. I think his records speak for his own, so hats off to Ashwin," continued Lyon.
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Lyon is just nine wickets away from his 400th Test wicket. Upon being asked which batsman would he prefer dismissing for it, he wondered, "Doesn't worry me, if it's (Mayank) Agarwal or (Jasprit) Bumrah, or whoever, batter of bowler, doesn't worry me whatsoever, just it would be nice feather in the cap to get there."
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