Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon is expecting Indian batsmen to charge down the track and attack him in the second Test match beginning Saturday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. But Lyon says he has a few plans against tackling the visiting batsmen.
“India will try to look and attack me again, especially when you look at the quality of quick bowlers that we have got here in the Australian side. So I think it is one of their tactics to come after me which is totally fine. I am pretty used to having guys come after me. It is just about for me, have to know when to attack and when to defend as well…it is all fun and part of playing cricket especially as a little spin bowler you are going to have a lot of guys come out and attack you. So it is all a great challenge, to be honest,” said Lyon while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
Lyon added that he looking for those triggers in the Indian batsmen and is focusing on keys that he can’t reveal.
“…It is about getting the right pace for the conditions. But it is also looking at little keys. I can’t reveal them but there are few different guys who have different techniques when they come down, so they have different triggers as well. As a bowler, you are always looking at these little triggers, so hopefully, you can be one step ahead of them. So there is something that I have noticed in a couple of guys and they all change a little bit when they come down the track. It is all part of the bowling spin. You are going to try and take note of the things and make sure that you are bowling your best balls,” said Lyon.
Asked if there are some specific plans for Cheteshwar Pujara, who was the man of the series on the last tour in 2018-19 and scored three centuries, the Aussie off-break bowler said that they had discussed the India No. 3 in great detail ahead of the series. Lyon troubled Pujara in the first innings of the first Test and got him out as well.
“I can’t reveal secrets. Obviously, Pujara is a world-class batter. He is obviously going to be a big challenge for us in this series. We spoke about him in-depth before the series…good to see a couple of plans come off in Adelaide but we have a couple of more things up our sleeve. If he does get in, hopefully, we can carry out that ploy,” said Lyon.
The Aussie, who is just nine short of 400 Test scalps, further said India will fare better in the Boxing Day Test despite getting shot out for 36 in the first match at the Adelaide Oval.
“(They) Will be able to hang in. It won’t be that bit difficult. You look at the quality of the players on the Indian side. They have got some absolute world-class players. It was one of those days when nothing went right for them and everything went right for us. We have all had them. It is part of cricket,” said the 33-year-old
“We expect them to come out firing and not having any scars from the other day. Cricket is a new game, a new day. We can’t look back expecting we are going to bowl them out for 50 again. So we have to go we are preparing well again just like Indians are. I think they will come out firing,” he added.
