Written by Vaibhav Tripathi
Nathan Lyon, Australia’s premier off-spinner, expressed confidence that their preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India wouldn’t be hindered by thoughts of the upcoming Ashes series.
Lyon referred to the clash with India as a “grand final” and emphasized the team’s focus on the immediate challenge. The WTC final is scheduled to commence on June 7 at The Oval. While the Ashes series against England, starting on June 16, has garnered significant attention, Lyon believed it wouldn’t distract Australia from their pursuit of winning the prestigious series away from home after a 22-year gap.
“Yes, we are playing the Ashes but we’ve got a big game that we’re up for,” Lyon was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP). “This (WTC final) is our grand final, and then our season basically starts again.
“That’s probably where we’re quite happy with where we’re at with our planning. We are able to understand what we’ve got around the corner, and be OK. It’s exciting to be part of the final and the fanfare and stuff around it, it’s bloody special.”