Off-spinner Nathan Lyon said that Australia have plans to stop not only Virat Kohli, but all the Indian batters in the upcoming five-match Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The opening Test starts on November 22 at the Perth Stadium and Lyon said the Aussie bowlers need to be on their toes against an Indian batting unit that has “full of superstars”.
“Not just Virat; we’ve got plans for all the batters. They are a side full of superstars, which is exciting. It’s a massive challenge for us, but we are looking forward to that. We will put some plans in place, making sure that our preparations are on spot. We will enjoy the next couple of days and get cracking on Friday,” Lyon told the reporters.
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Kohli has an excellent record on Australian soil, having racked up 1352 runs from 13 Tests at an average of 54.08 with six hundreds and four fifties to his name. In fact, it was in Australia where Kohli notched his maiden Test hundred back in January 2012 at the Adelaide Oval.
Lyon, who is amongst the leading wicket-takers in Test cricket, said that Australia are ready to embrace the challenge of playing against India in an electric atmosphere.
“Hopefully the support is going to be on Australia’s side. It’s going to be noisy, and the atmosphere is going to be great. We know what India bring to the table and so, it will be a massive challenge for us,” Lyon added.
Lyon enjoys bowling against India, having taken 121 wickets from 27 Tests with nine five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls. In Australia, Lyon has 259 scalps to his name from 67 Tests.
Australia will be looking to make amends after losing at home to India back in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
