Perth [Australia], December 13 (ANI): Australian spin ace Nathan Lyon, who is approaching the landmark of 500 Test wickets, said his spin twin Ravichandran Ashwin is someone whom he has watched closely from the start of his career and he has been one of his “biggest coaches”.
Australia will take on Pakistan in the first of the three-match Test series, in Perth on Thursday.
Lyon, who is currently at 496 wickets in 122 Tests, will make his return to Test cricket after suffering a serious calf injury during the Ashes against England in June.
“You look at Ashwin, he is a world-class bowler and somebody I have watched closely from the start of his career,” Lyon was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au ahead of his return to Test cricket.
“We have gone head-to-head many times in different conditions around the world. I have nothing but respect for Ashwin and the way he has gone about it. I have definitely learned from him. There is an opportunity to learn from the people you play against, and without knowing it he has probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way,” Lyon said.
“It is pretty amazing to see we are both creeping up to that 500 mark, and we will see where we end up. Hopefully, at the end of our career we will sit down and have a nice feed and a beer and talk about it,” the New South Welshman added.
Ashwin, who made his Test debut in the same year as Lyon, also has 489 wickets in 94 matches. He is the ninth-highest wicket-taker in Tests while the 36-year-old Lyon sits one spot above at number eighth.
Twenty years ago, late Aussie spin great Shane Warne and Sri Lankan spin wizard Muthiah Muralidaran were in a race to becoming the first-ever spinner to get 500 Test wickets.
In contemporary cricket, Ashwin and Lyon are among the top brackets when it comes to quality spin bowling and have terrorised the best batting line-ups with their trickery and skills.
They are also in a race now to accomplish 500 Test wickets.
The last time, it was Warnie who prevailed over the mighty Sri Lankan in the race to 500 Test wickets. And the onus is on another Aussie, Lyon, to reach the career landmark ahead of the Indian magician.
While both are competing in the race to 500 Test scalps, both spinners are among the best in their craft across generations and led their teams to many memorable wins in red-ball cricket.
If Lyon pips Ashwin to the milestone, Australia, which has won ICC trophies for fun, quite literally, will also become the first nation to have three bowlers in the 500-wicket club. Warne (708 scalps) and pacer Glenn McGrath (563 scalps) are already a part of the elite list along with James Anderson (690) and Stuart Broad (604) while Muralidaran (800), India’s Anil Kumble (619) and West Indian Courtney Walsh (519) are sole entrants to the club from their respective teams.
Having spent months on the sidelines after suffering his first injury setback in his 12-year Test career for the Baggy Greens, Lyon said he has full faith in his body and hopes to be playing at the international level till 2027, the year the Australians visit the UK once again for the Ashes.
But Lyon said he is not too worried about personal milestones and isn’t aiming to overtake Warne’s tally of 708 Test wickets.
“I am not putting a number on it (on his final wicket tally). I want to play cricket for as long as I can,” Lyon said.
“Have not won (a Test series) in India, have not won in England – that is two places that I want to do, so with the injury happening a couple of months ago I feel like there is a passion there to keep going and keep trying to get better. I have had the mentality to try and rehab this like no one’s rehabbed a calf injury before,” he said.
“I am really proud of the work I have done personally, but also with the likes of Cricket Australia and Cricket New South Wales. I feel like we have done everything possible along the way to make sure we are in a really good spot physically, but also mentally as well. I am feeling really confident, really happy with where everything is at and it is just about going out there and performing now,” the Aussie added.
Australia vs Pakistan
First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium
Second Test: December 26-30, Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
Third Test: January 3-7, Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG)
Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner
Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi. (ANI)
