Legendary Australian spinner Nathan Lyon, who sits at No. 1 position in the leading wicket-takers list in World Test Championship (WTC) history, has backed the Baggy Greens to end the decade-long wait for a Test series win over India later this year. According to the 36-year-old cricketer, who has dismissed 530 batters in 129 Tests played so far, Australia will whitewash India in the 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is set to start on November 22 in Perth and feature five matches.
“It’s been ten years since we have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. I started thinking about this series when England were over in India, watching them to go about it. I love the game, and I will watch a decent Test match, but I have eyes on this series for a long time now," Lyon said on the Willow Talk podcast.
“My prediction is 5-0 to Australia," he added.
WATCH: Nathan Lyon makes prediction for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 (From 50:58)
Lyon, who is the third leading wicket-taker for Australia in Test cricket and has 121 wickets to his name in 27 Test matches played against India, said that he is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with batting superstar Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant in the marquee series.
“Having Virat out here, Rishabh Pant has been picked for the Tests against Bangladesh, so that’s an amazing story. It’s going to be pretty big," he said.
“I am really forward to playing the five-match series. This series is getting bigger and bigger, and when people say that Test cricket is dying, I disagree. When you walk on the street and talk to the local people, they are already saying, ‘India this summer, eh’. This series is in the back of people’s minds," he added.
‘I want 180 and 200’
The star spinner, who is all set to lead Australia’s spin attack, also wants his teammates to step up and score big hundreds against India.
“We need big runs. We need the guys who are talented enough to get the hundred. The likes of Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head, all in top order. I don’t want 101 or 107; I want 180 and 200."
“If I will have a day off, I am pretty sure that I will be more effective and can help my team win the Test match," he added.
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