I’m not afraid...: Nathan Lyon on game plan against old foe Rishabh Pant ahead of India vs Australia Tests

India will soon travel to Australia for a five-match Test series, i.e. the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting on Nov 22 in Perth. The series promises to showcase a fierce contest between the bat and ball. The personal cricketing battles, like Pat Cummins versus Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli against Josh Hazlewood, Kohli versus Smith, Rishabh Pantagainst Nathan Lyon, Jasprit Bumrahversus Smith, Mohammed Shamiagainst Travis Head, etc. are keenly awaited. Talking about Lyonversus Pant, the veteran Aussie spinner revealed his game plan against the swashbuckling left-hander, who made a stunning return to red-ball format with his sixth ton during India's first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai last week.

Lyon told Star Sports in the lead-up to the series, "You're playing, bowling against someone like Rishabh Pant, who is electric. He's got all the skill in the world. As a bowler, your room for error is so small. So you've got to be good. It's a challenge as a bowler if I'm going to get hit for six. I'm not afraid about getting hit for six. The challenge is that I can provide the batters and try and keep someone like Rishabh in his crease and potentially try and get him to defend me a lot more and hopefully bring a couple of chances along the way."

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Interestingly, Lyon has the wood over Pant. The wily off-spinner has dismissed the southpaw on seven occasions. On the other hand, the 25-year-old Pant has624 runs at an average of 62.40 with two fifties and a hundred in Australian conditions. Thus, it sets up a beautiful contest between Pant and the 36-year-old offie.

Pant was part of India's two historic Test series triumphs in Australia, in 2018/19 and 2020/21. With him back in Tests, during the ongoing home series versus Bangladesh, the keeper-batter will already have one eye on the Australia series as Rohit Sharma & Co. aim for three successive Test series win Down Under.