Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Former Pakistan cricketer takes a dig at Nathan Lyon

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has taken a swipe at Australian spinner Nathan Lyon for his audacious prediction regarding the upcoming 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

The high-profile series, set to feature five Tests, will see India touring Australia later this year. The series will kick off in Perth on November 22, with subsequent matches scheduled for Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.

In a recent discussion on Willow Talk’s YouTube channel with Alyssa Healy and Brad Haddin, Lyon predicted a 5-0 whitewash in favor of the Baggy Greens. This bold forecast has sparked controversy, particularly from Basit Ali, who has criticized Lyon’s remarks as overly arrogant.

On his YouTube channel, Basit described Lyon’s prediction as “stupid,” stating, “I will only say one thing about Nathan Lyon’s stupid statement that Australia will defeat India by six Tests, but only by words.”

Hefurther challenged Lyon’s overconfidence, urging Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to respond. 

“In the past two series, India has dominated Australia. Such comments don’t suit cricketers. Ricky Ponting or former cricketers can make such statements. I request Ashwin to reply back and say that India will defeat Australia by 5-0,” Basit said.

Lyon, who holds the record for the most wickets in World Test Championship history, justified his prediction by reflecting on the series during an interview on Willow Talk.

“It’s been ten years since we have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. I started thinking about this series when England were over in India, watching them go about it. I love the game, and I will watch a decent Test match, but I have eyes on this series for a long time now,” he concluded.

Australia has not won a Test series against India since the 2014-15 season. In their last two tours, India has defeated the 2023 World Test Championship winners 2-1 on both occasions.