On Monday, the veteran off-spinner, Nathan Lyon revealed that Australia will have plans chalked out for the returning Rohit Sharma as he described the veteran Indian 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 shots.

During a virtual press conference, Nathan Lyon said, “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. He (Rohit) is a big input for the Indian side. 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.”

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Rohit has been named India’s deputy skipper for the last couple of Tests after he missed the first couple of games as he was recovering from an injury sustained during the IPL. Lyon said one of India skipper Ajinkya Rahane’s strengths is that he barred himself from involvement in sledging or conversations with the opposition bowlers while he is in the middle.

Lyon elaborated, “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. I know we will have our plans ready to hopefully combat him come the SCG Test.”

Nathan 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. According to the 33-year-old spinner, the Indian batsmen have always tried to be attacking against him.

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Lyon explained, “I think they (Indian batsmen) have played me pretty similar. Every series I come up against India, they try to be quite attacking.”