Over the years, Australia have continued asserting their dominance in Test cricket. The team has managed to bring out remarkable performances consistently, showcasing their unmatched prowess in the longest format of the game. However, the desire and hunger of the team is probably still at par with the milestones it has achieved. This is evident through a recent statement from Australia’s ace spinner Nathan Lyon which clearly brought the team’s winning ambition to surface.
Nathan Lyon confident of a 2-0 win in Sri Lanka
After the historic win at the Galle International Stadium against Sri Lanka in the opening match of the series, Lyon talked about the future ambitions of the team on Cricket Australia’s official channel and highlighted the team’s ability to dominate the longest format of the game.
“I feel like that’s a lot of motivation within this team. It’s about us on our journey to becoming a great team, to make sure we go 2-0 up. We’re on that journey, we’re not there yet but that’s our end goal. We want to be known as a great team, and part of that journey is when we close a window making sure we nail it shut, and we don’t let anyone back in. This is only me and my thoughts, but we’ve got some great players within that changeroom,” Lyon said.
The Aussies last visited Sri Lanka in the year 2022 and were in a similar position before the home side made a stunning comeback to win the 2nd match of the series by an innings and 39 runs and drew the 2-match series 1-1. Lyon, wants to avoid the mistakes of their previous visit to the island nation. The Australian side has not been able to white-wash Asian opposition on their home soil in the last 20 years.
Additionally, he talked about the quality of players in the Australian side and further highlighted the team’s ability to completely outperform opposition sides in Test cricket. The Australian team had earlier thrashed India 1-3 to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade and won the Ashes twice in the current WTC cycle.
“You look at Smithy (Steve Smith) bringing up 10,000 runs, you’ve got Starcy who’s around the corner from 100 Test matches and it’s not just the guys here, we’ve got some unbelievable players at home as well whether injured or on paternity leave. It’s a squad mentality and that’s how it should be,” Lyon concluded.
Also Read: Twitter reactions: Dominant Australia tears Sri Lanka apart to claim an emphatic win in the 1st Test
A spin masterclass in the first Test
Lyon had a stellar performance in the 1st Test against Sri Lanka in which he along with Mathhew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy asserted control over the course of the and completely dominated the home side with their spin on the turning track. The seasoned Australian spinner took 7 wickets in the Test match and had an immense contribution in ensuring a win for the Australian side by an innings and 242 runs.
The 37-year-old crucially got rid of the dangerous Dinesh Chandimal in both the innings who played a heroic knock in the 1st innings and tried his way out in the 2nd Sri Lankan innings to save the Test match for the home side. However, it was Kuhnemann who was the star for the visitors with the ball as he took a total of 9 wickets and asserted complete control over the Sri Lankan side.
