Perth, November 18
Ahead of the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), Australia spinner Nathan Lyon showered praise on star India bowler Ravichandran Ashwin and called him a "smart bowler".
After months of wait, India and Australia, two heavyweights in the world of Test cricket, will begin their fierce rivalry in Perth from Friday.
Ashwin has stunning numbers against Australia, he played 22 Test matches and 42 innings against the Aussies, in which he picked up 114 wickets at an economy rate of 2.70.
While playing 10 Test matches on Aussie soil, Ashwin bagged 39 wickets at an economy rate of 2.93.
Lyon said that Ashwin is an incredible bowler. The Australian bowler added that Ashwin is able to learn and adapt very quickly.
"Ash is an incredible bowler. I've gone head-to-head with him for basically my whole career, so I've learned a lot from Ash. He's an incredibly smart bowler, and he's able to learn and adapt very quickly, and I think the best bowlers in the world are able to do that. He used his skill to benefit himself and his team. So you've got to give credit where credit's due, he was the best bowler (in 2020/21), as he usually is. So hats off to Ash," Lyon was quoted by Fox Cricket as saying.
Lyon revealed that he had watched a lot of Ashwin's footage before the previous BGT series.
"He's taught me a lot. I'm a big believer in the players that you play against are your best coaches that you eventually come across. I've watched a lot of his footage heading over to India, the way he goes about it here in Australia, see if I can pick up anything," he added.
The much anticipated Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin on November 22, with the first Test at Perth.
The second Test, scheduled for December 6 to 10 at Adelaide Oval, will feature the exciting day-night format under the stadium's lights. After that, fans will turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test, which will be held from December 14 to 18.
The customary Boxing Day Test, set for December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's storied Melbourne Cricket Ground, will bring the series to its penultimate stage.
The fifth and final Test, to take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, will serve as the series climax, promising a dramatic conclusion to an exciting contest.