Veteran Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has spoken highly of his Indian counterpart Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan to be played at Perth from Thursday, December 14.
Lyon took to X and quoted a news article about his statement on Ashwin. He also had a sporting message for his fellow off-spinner that there’s still a lot of cricket left in them.
Here’s what Nathan Lyon wrote in his post:
“I’m sure the competition to pick the best venue for this catch up will be strong, but we both have a few good years left in us yet @ashwinravi99 💪”
Nathan Lyon believes Ravichandran Ashwin has been like his coach
Nathan Lyon and Ravichandran Ashwin’s rise in Test cricket has almost been parallel and the duo continue to prove why they are among the best spinners to ever play Test cricket.
While they have come up against each other several times, Lyon feels he has learnt a lot from the way Ashwin bowls. Here’s what he told reporters ahead of Australia’s Test vs Pakistan:
“You look at Ashwin, he’s a world-class bowler and somebody I’ve watched closely from the start of his career We’ve gone head-to-head many times in different conditions around the world. I’ve got nothing but respect for Ashwin and the way he’s gone about it.”
Lyon further added:
“I’ve definitely learned from him. There’s an opportunity to learn from the people you play against, and without knowing it he’s probably been one of my biggest coaches in a way.
“It’s pretty amazing to see we’re both creeping up to that 500 mark, and we’ll see where we end up. Hopefully at the end of our career we’ll sit down and have a nice feed and a beer and talk about it.”
Lyon is just four wickets away from joining the 500-wicket club in Test cricket, while Ashwin is still 11 scalps away.
