Surprise Choice! Nathan Lyon Reveals the Indian Batter Who Can Trouble Australia in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

India is set to travel to Australia for the highly anticipated five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While much of the attention is usually on star players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Australia’s top spinner, Nathan Lyon, has highlighted a different Indian batter who he believes could pose a significant challenge to the Australian bowlers. Surprisingly, Lyon has pinpointed Yashasvi Jaiswal, a young and rising star, as the player to watch out for in this series.

Nathan Lyon’s Focus on Yashasvi Jaiswal

Nathan Lyon, who is regarded as one of the best spinners in the world, has already started his preparations to tackle Jaiswal, even though he has never bowled to the young southpaw before. Lyon’s decision to focus on Jaiswal comes after watching him perform exceptionally well against England in a recent Test series. Jaiswal scored an impressive 712 runs in that five-match series, catching the attention of cricket fans and experts alike.

Lyon admitted that he was amazed by the way Jaiswal batted against England, particularly in challenging conditions. This has prompted him to take Jaiswal seriously as a potential threat in the upcoming series. “I haven’t bowled to Yashasvi Jaiswal, but that will be a challenge for our bowlers. I watched the way he batted against England closely, and that was amazing,” Lyon told ESPNcricinfo.

To better prepare for facing Jaiswal, Lyon has been in communication with England spinner Tom Hartley, who had a successful series against India. Hartley took 20 wickets in four Tests, and his experience bowling to Indian batters, including Jaiswal, has made him a valuable source of information for Lyon.

Lyon explained that he loves talking about cricket and is always eager to learn new things. By discussing strategies and techniques with Hartley, Lyon hopes to gain insights that could help him and the Australian team handle Jaiswal’s batting prowess. “I spoke to Tom Hartley about the ways he bowled to different Indian batters,” Lyon added. This collaboration highlights Lyon’s commitment to thorough preparation and his respect for the challenge that Jaiswal represents.

Challenges of Playing in Australia

One of the key factors that could influence Jaiswal’s performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is the nature of Australian pitches. Known for their pace and bounce, Australian wickets can be quite different from the conditions Jaiswal faced while playing in India and England. While Jaiswal has shown great adaptability in his batting, Lyon believes that the Australian conditions will test the young batter in new ways.

Lyon is fully aware that the challenge for Jaiswal will be to adjust to the pace and bounce that Australian pitches offer. However, this also presents an opportunity for Jaiswal to prove himself on the global stage by succeeding in one of the toughest cricketing environments. Lyon and the Australian bowlers will undoubtedly be looking to exploit any weaknesses that Jaiswal might have when dealing with these conditions.

Australia’s Best Chance to Win

With 530 wickets from 129 Tests, Nathan Lyon is one of Australia’s most experienced and successful bowlers. He feels that this upcoming series could be Australia’s best opportunity to win against India in recent years. Lyon’s confidence stems from the team’s preparation and the insights he has gathered from discussions with other cricketers like Hartley.

Lyon’s belief in Australia’s chances is not just based on his own skills but also on the depth and quality of the Australian bowling attack. He emphasized the importance of using all available information to outthink the opposition and is confident that Australia has the tools needed to overcome the challenges posed by the Indian team, including Jaiswal.