"We know we're able to challenge India, that's for sure" - Nathan Lyon ahead of India's tour in early 2023
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon is eagerly looking forward to the Test tour of India in early 2023 and believes the tourists can take confidence from their recent success in Pakistan.
The veteran spinner also rued the missed chance to register a series victory in 2017 when Australia came close.
The Aussies haven't won a Test series in India since 2004 when Adam Gilchrist captained them to two wins in a four-game rubber.
They came close in early 2017 under Steve Smith when Australia stunned India in the first Test. However, the hosts bounced back to clinch the series 2-1.
Inspired bowling spells from Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins on the final day in Lahore helped Australia clinch the historic #PAKvAUS Test series 👏
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Speaking to CodeSports, Lyon said a successful tour of Pakistan should stand them in good stead for the visit to India. The 34-year-old thinks Australia must do the basics right to stay on top of the hosts.
"We know we're able to challenge India, that's for sure. It's going to be a massive challenge but we can take a lot out of our performance over in Pakistan. 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."
The New South Wales player earmarked the India-Australia rivalry as big as the Ashes, saying:
"It's massive. It's getting very similar to an Ashes series as the pinnacle series for an Australian cricketer. It's something that as an Australian side that we respect and go over there and not be scared or anything like that. Really embrace the challenge and really play some positive cricket which is what we've been able to do in the past."
Lyon, who took 19 wickets in four Tests in the 2016-17 India tour, played a significant role in Australia's recent win in Pakistan. He took a fifer in the fourth innings of the final Test in Lahore to give his side a historic series victory.
"We stuffed it up" - Nathan Lyon on India's tour in 2017
The off-spinner felt Australia 'stuffed it up' in 2017 in India, harking back to the second Test in Bengaluru when they failed to chase 188.
Hence, a triumph in Pakistan meant a lot and Lyon believes consistency is the key to keep replicating it.
"If I look at series in the past, in India in 2017, we should have won that series. We stuffed it up. Our batting from one to eleven, in my eyes, we should have been able to chase down 180 on that wicket. There's a couple of series that were like that for me that we should have won but we didn't.
"So, it was really good to go to Pakistan, keep doing the same process, keep trying to get better and we were able to get the right result this time."
400 of the very best from Nathan Lyon! 🐐
He becomes the 17th player to achieve the milestone in men's Test cricket, joining Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath as the only other Australian players #Ashes https://t.co/hbdIjXVr6F
Before India's tour next year, Pat Cummins and Co. will visit Sri Lanka in June for two Tests. Australia sustained a whitewash when they played in the Island nation in 2016.