Lyon likens Border-Gavaskar to Ashes, calls Asia a ‘bloody exciting’ challenge

Spinner Nathan Lyon admitted that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which Australia plays against India, is as massive as the Ashes. The 34-year-old further added that playing in Asia is challenging ‘but exciting’. 

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India have been winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy since 2017. While Virat Kohli captained the side in the first two series, 2017 and 2018, it was under the leadership of Ajinkya Rahane that a young Indian side emerged victorious in 2020. The series is named after former captains, Australia’s Allan Border and India’s Sunil Gavaskar.

This year, the Aussies will visit India for four Tests in October and November.

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In an interview with Code Sports Lyon said that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is massive. “It isgetting very similar to an Ashes series as the pinnacle series for an Australian cricketer,” the spinner added. 

“This series with the Test Championship on the line as well it’s going to be even more important and probably a bigger challenge. It’s about doing the basics, not getting too far ahead of ourselves and enjoying the challenge – I think that’s going to be the biggest one.”

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Australia recently won an historic away Test series against Pakistan. Pat Cummins and co came from behind to register their first overseas Test series win since 2016 and first in Asia since 2011. They are now scheduled to face Sri Lanka in June-July. 

“There’s no point hiding behind it. That’s one challenge we want to pride ourselves on – going out there and performing really well. This challenge is massive and it’s bloody exciting to be honest,” Lyon said about playing in Asia. 

He further added that the Pakistan series was ‘a hard-fought 15 days of cricket’. 

“It was an absolutely incredible challenge for the whole 15 days and we saw the ups and downs of playing Test cricket in the subcontinent and how challenging it is,” Lyon added.