Australia will have plans set for world-class Rohit Sharma: Lyon
Melbourne: Australia will have plans chalked out for the returning Rohit Sharma, seasoned off-spinner Nathan Lyon said on Monday, describing the swashbuckling India opener as one of the best players in world cricket.
Having missed the limited-overs leg of the tour and the Tests in Adelaide and Melbourne due to an injury, Rohit has joined an upbeat Indian team for the last two matches and Lyon is aware of the threat the batsman can pose with his wide range of strokes.
"Obviously, Rohit Sharma is one of the best players in the world going around, so it is going to be a big challenge for us bowlers, but we are going to show our way from it, we love challenging ourselves," Lyon said at a virtual press conference.
"He (Rohit) is a big input for the Indian side, so it is going to be interesting to see who they leave out.
"But we will have our plans ready for Rohit, and hopefully, we can get on top of him nice and early, but respecting how good a cricketer Rohit is," added Lyon, who is on the verge of playing his 100th Test.
Rohit has been named India's vice-captain for the remaining two Tests after he missed the first two as he was recovering from an injury sustained during the IPL.
Lyon said one of India skipper Ajinkya Rahane's strengths is that he does not indulge in sledding or conversations with the opposition bowlers while he is in the middle.
"He (Rahane) is obviously a world-class batter, which obviously helps with everything. I think the patience that he shows at the crease, he doesn't seem to get (frustrated) much.
"He (Rahane) doesn't buy into any sledding or any conservation out there in the middle, he is pretty calm and collective batter (of the) opposition, so it is few different things that he offers.
"... But he is obviously the leader of India at the moment as Virat (Kohli) is not here, so he is standing up at the moment and I know we will have our plans ready to hopefully combat him come to the SCG Test," he said.
Lyon also had words of praise for his Indian counterpart Ravichandran Ashwin and said the Tamil Nadu off-spinner has bowled quite straighter to the Australian batsman and they had no answer to that.
"Yeah, Ashwin is bowling very well. He is a world-class spinner and I have said that throughout my whole career. He has bowled quite a straight line to our batters, which they haven't had come up with a plan as yet.
"I think they will come up with one of them and counter Ashwin's plan in Sydney," said Lyon, who has 394 wickets from 94 Tests.
"But he (Ashwin) is a world-class bowler and what you expect, he has got a decent record around the world, so hats off to him," the Australian added.
Lyon also stated that he has devised "a couple of different plans" for Rahane, who hit a dogged match-winning 112 in the Melbourne Test.
"I think (Ajinkya) Rahane played me extremely well in Melbourne, so I know I am going to come up with a couple of different plans for him and a few different guys, so I am looking forward to putting them in place.
"But, to be honest with you, we have been pretty accurate with our bowling, as a squad to take 20 wickets quite quickly in Adelaide but then challenged a little bit in Melbourne.
"But to stay there and keep creating chances, that was positive. So, we are very confident as a bowling group and I know personally I have got a few different plans to put in place."
According to the 33-year-old Lyon, Indian batters have always tried to be attacking against him.
"I think they (Indian batsmen) have played me pretty similar. Every series I come up against India, they try to be quite attacking," he said.
Currently, the series is tied at 1-1 with Australia winning the Pink-Ball opener in Adelaide and India emerging triumphant in Melbourne.
The third Test will be aired live on Sony Six, Sony Ten 1, and Sony 3 from January 7.
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Kolkata, May 18: In a veiled reference to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he cannot speak in favour of someone who wants to finish him politically and his party in the state.
His comment comes hours after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that Chowdhury is no one to take a decision on whether Banerjee would be part of the INDIA bloc in the event of the anti-BJP alliance coming to power after the Lok Sabha polls.
Asked about Kharge’s statement, Chowdhury, who is seeking re-election from Baharampur on a Congress ticket, said, “I cannot speak in favour of someone who wants to finish me politically and our party in Bengal. This is a battle for every Congress worker. I have spoken on their behalf.”
Stating that his opposition to Banerjee stemmed from his principled stance, not from his interest, Chowdhury said “There is no personal grudge but I question her political ethics."
Asked about Mamata Banerjee's comment that she will support the INDIA bloc government from the outside and Chowdhury's remark that the Bengal CM cannot be trusted and she might go with the BJP, Kharge told reporters, "Mamata Banerjee is with the alliance. She has recently said that she will join the government. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary will not take the decision. The decision will be taken by me and the high command those who don't agree will go out."
Chowdhury also alleged that Banerjee had "taken Maoists' help to discredit the Left in Purulia, Bankura and Jhargram and then abandoned them.
“I don’t want the state Congress to be used for her personal agenda and then finish the organisation. If Kharge ji speaks against my views, I will continue to speak for Congressmen at the grassroots in the state.”
The TMC is contesting the Lok Sabha elections alone in the state, while the Congress and the Left are jointly fighting.
