ISLAMABAD — Australian spin great
Nathan Lyon said Wednesday he was relishing the challenge of bowling against one of
the world’s top batsmen, Babar Azam, in the first Test against Pakistan
starting this week.
اضافة اعلان
The 34-year-old is the highest wicket-taker in the
Australia squad with 415 from 105 Tests, and boasts a record of 95 victims in
19 matches across Asia.
Azam is the world’s number one batsman in one-day
internationals as well Twenty20s, and is ranked ninth in the Test rankings.
“I have always said from day one of my career that I
want to compete against the best players in the world, and Babar is definitely
one of those guys,” Lyon told a video news conference.
Azam is the linchpin in Pakistan’s often vulnerable
batting line-up that also has veteran
Azhar Ali and the hard-working Fawad
Alam.
“I can’t wait to challenge myself, but there are
some unbelievable batters in this Pakistan line-up that I am going to have some
decent challenges with.
“To be honest, my mindset in every game I go into is
to win and not go into to draw or lose it, so my mindset is to be here in
Pakistan and win 3-0.”
Lyon said Australia are on a high after thumping
England 4-0 in the Ashes earlier this year.
“I think it’s a very young and exciting Australian
Test squad that will go here coming off from a pretty spectacular summer back
home and that’s given the group a lot of confidence.”
He likened the Rawalpindi stadium pitch to the ones
Australia played against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates in 2018.
“There is not much grass on it. I am expecting it to
be pretty good to bat on for the first couple of days and then hopefully spin
and reverse swing may come into it,” he added.
Read more Sports
.jpg)
.jpg)
