Australian cricket team captain Pat Cummins left fans and pundits reeling as he declared there is no Indian cricketer who could smoothly fit into his team ahead of the five-match Test series against India. This came when Australian players, including Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, and Travis Head, were quizzed on which Indian cricketer they felt could easily fit into the Australian team. While all other players made their picks, Cummins bluntly replied: “No one.”
Australia’s Best Cricketers Name Their Indian Opponents
As for Cummins, he thinks it is impossible. His teammates, however, have other things to say. Aussie premier spinner Nathan Lyon picked Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli as the ideal candidate to strengthen the Australian side. Years of battling memories with Kohli don’t dampen Lyon’s enthusiasm: “It’d be a pretty strong batting lineup having Smith, Marnus, and Virat in your top order.
Mitchell Marsh, known for his aggressive batting, selected Rishabh Pant, India’s dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman, as his choice. He praised Pant’s potential to add depth to the batting lineup. Travis Head, another Australian batter, opted for India’s captain Rohit Sharma, lauding his aggressive batting style. “I’ll go Rohit Sharma at the top. He’s batting pretty aggressively, isn’t he?” Head explained, adding that he preferred Sharma’s bold approach to batting over more conventional picks like Kohli.
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Everyone picking their favourites or likeable players
Meanwhile Captain Pat Cummins: Nah no one 😑 pic.twitter.com/SkY3kadfPM— Pallavi (@Pallavi_paul21) November 19, 2024
Jasprit Bumrah was the first choice for Scott Boland, an Australian fast bowler, who made a statement that showed he understood the impact potential of the Indian fast bowler.
Lyon And Kohli In A Rivalry For Ages
Nathan Lyon went down memory lane as he selected Virat Kohli to bring back their rivalry on the cricketing field. While reminiscing about his battles, Lyon recalled a Test at Adelaide in 2014, where Kohli plundered twin centuries in his maiden Test series as the skipper. Kohli had targeted him with tenacity while showcasing a consistent level of skill and utter confidence.
Kohli’s performances against Lyon have been notable over the years, as the Indian captain has accumulated 529 runs in 32 innings against the Australian spinner, averaging an impressive 75.6. Despite this, Lyon has dismissed Kohli seven times in their encounters, making their rivalry a compelling subplot in the upcoming Test series.
Virat Kohli’s Form
Kohli, who enters the 2024 Test series in Australia under significant pressure, is determined to prove his worth once again. Following a challenging home Test season against teams like Bangladesh and New Zealand, Kohli’s place in the Indian team for future tours is under scrutiny. The ICC World Test Championship cycle (2023-2025) is poised to bring major changes to the Indian team, and Kohli’s performances in Australia will be crucial for his long-term legacy.
Mind Games Kohli Plays With Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon too commented on the instances where Kohli had resorted to mental games when both of them faced each other. During the Adelaide Test of 2014, Kohli would engage in much banter with Lyon, constantly repeating “Federer” every time when he faced Lyon’s deliveries. This affair was nothing short of amusing to Lyon, but on a serious note, it was a shrewd ploy by Kohli to ruffle the bowler’s perceptions.
“The battle that comes to my mind is the 2014 Test at Adelaide Oval where he scored the hundreds in both innings. He would come down to the non-striker’s end and just say Federer,” Lyon recalled. “And I was like, okay, what is this? And he kept doing it. Every time. Every time he would come down and say, Federer, Federer,” Lyon added.
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