MELBOURNE, June 24: Star Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon on Wednesday said that a Test series against India is equivalent to the Ashes and come December, their team will come out all guns blazing to avenge the series defeat of 2018-19.
India beat Australia 2-1 during the last series in 2018-19, which was the first time that the visitors won a series in 71 years.
�You definitely don�t like losing games or series while playing for Australia. Obviously, India, a couple of years ago, they outplayed us. So we are looking to have those guys come out here,� Lyon told reporters in a video on Cricket Australia�s Facebook page.
�It�s getting up there to the pinnacle series alongside Ashes. Obviously, they have got a side full of superstars and it�s going to be an amazing challenge this summer when they get out here.�
Lyon was part of the Australian Test side that lost 1-2 to India in the 2018-19 home series. It was incidentally the first time India had won a Test series in Australian soil.
India are scheduled to tour Australia later this year for a four-Test series starting December 3 in Brisbane.
Lyon, 32, has been Australia�s premier spinner for the last 10 years but it was first time that he got a pre-season break, courtesy the COVID-19 pandemic.
�I haven�t had a pre-season. This is basically my first winter in 10 years. It�s exciting to be home and just to be around all the boys here and all the rookies as well trying to pass on a little bit of knowledge,� he said.
�Have I started bowling? I�ve been doing a bit of bowling-coaching with young Ben Manenti from the Sydney Sixers, so I�ve been bowling with him a fair bit over the last three to four weeks.�
A refreshed Lyon is expected to pose a serious threat to India later this summer, but the bowler himself is not certain about the resumption of cricket disrupted by the pandemic.
�Well we know that something will come eventually. We�re getting some really good preparation under the belt and can enjoy spending some time at home,� he said.
Lyon said he will be closely following the England-West Indies series beginning next month in a �bio-secure� environment.
�I�ll put Kayo on and make sure the game�s on the TV there. I�ll try and watch different players and see how they go about their business,� he said. � PTI
