ROHIT ON RADAR
Australians have their plans laid out for Hitman
Melbourne, Jan. 4: 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 ourself,” Lyon said.
“He (Rohit) is a big input for 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 sledging 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 sledging 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 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 the SCG Test,” he said.
Lyon also had words of praise for his Indian counterpart Ravichandran Ashwin and said the off-spinner has bowled quite straighter to the Australian batsman and they had no answer to that.
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 ourself.
— NATHAN LYON Australian off-spinner