NEW DELHI: Prior to the day-night Test, Australia‘s premier spinner Nathan Lyon has praised the Adelaide Oval pitch, describing it as the ‘best cricket wicket in the world’ while anticipating significant spin.
As Australia prepare to challenge India in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, Lyon aims to utilise the Adelaide conditions effectively.
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Australia, with their impressive record of 11 victories and a single defeat in pink-ball Tests, are keen to bounce back following their 295-run defeat at Perth.
Lyon expressed his fondness for Adelaide as his preferred venue, noting its suitability for all types of cricket.
“I love Adelaide. Adelaide’s my favourite venue. So I love playing cricket here. I think the whole atmosphere here with the crowds, the whole town, the whole city and then with the pitch here and the conditions here, I really enjoy bowling here for the spin and bounce. So red ball, pink ball, white ball. I just love playing cricket here,” Lyon said at the pre-match presser.
“Red ball, white ball, pink ball, it is exactly the same. Not overly challenging. I think it is a great venue to play spin. I think what Damien (Hough, head curator) does here is he produces a great wicket that has got enough in it and it is challenging for both bat and ball.”
“If you are good enough with the bat, you will score runs. If you are good enough with the ball, you will hopefully create a few chances along your way. So I think this is probably the best cricket wicket in the world, if I am being honest with you. So I am expecting it to be pretty helpful for spin and bowling as well,” Lyon added.
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Regarding Josh Hazlewood’s absence due to a side strain, Lyon commented on his teammate’s rehabilitation progress and praised his team spirit.
“Yeah, he is pretty disappointed. The other day when he told me, about four or five days ago now, that he had a little side issue. But the quality of person that Josh is, he is getting around everyone, making sure that everyone is right here firstly, but he is also doing his rehab and training ball. You have seen him do his training tonight and I think he did about a 90-minute rehab session yesterday,” he added.
The Adelaide Test, commencing December 6, sees India in a strong position following their commanding performance in the first Test, led by Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling and leadership.
Nevertheless, India must overcome the memories of their 2020 Adelaide pink-ball Test performance, where they recorded their lowest Test score of 36 runs. In that match, Pat Cummins (4/21) and Josh Hazlewood (5/8) dominated the Indian batting order, setting up an easy 90-run chase for Australia.