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Australia are gearing up to play their first Test series in Pakistan after 24 years as side's spinner Nathan Lyon is aims to secure a 3-0 whitewash. The visitors will play three Test matches followed by as many ODIs and a one-off Twenty20 during their six-week tour which is scheduled to start from March 4 (Friday).
Lyon believes that it will be a big challenge but his team is all pepped up with the return of Steve Smith who announced his recovery from concussion which he incurred last month.
“It's going to be a big challenge, but I'm going into this Test series thinking we're going to be performing and playing our best cricket to win 3-0,” Lyon said.
“We haven't played an away test since 2019 … it's a very young, exciting Australian test squad that we've got here and we're coming off a pretty spectacular summer,” the off-spinner added.
Australia will have just three practice sessions to prepare for the test matches after arriving in Pakistan on Sunday and spending two days in the team hotel. They will be playing three test matches within 22 days, part of International Cricket Council's World Test Championship, before competing in a three-match ODI series and a one-off Twenty20 against Pakistan.
“We've got enough people to cover all the bases. Whatever team we go out with, we're confident we can play a really, really positive brand of cricket here in Pakistan,” Lyon said.
With 415 wickets in 105 test matches, Lyon will share the major workload of Australian slow bowlers. Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar and uncapped 28-year-old leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson are also in selection contention if Australia opts to go into the first test with two specialist spinners.
Lyon has a decent record on typical slow subcontinent wickets, claiming 95 wickets in 19 test matches across India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. His tally also includes 15 wickets in four test matches against Pakistan played in the United Arab Emirates.
Smith eagerly waiting to play Test cricket on Pakistan soil
Australia batter Steve Smith on Tuesday said he can't wait to play a Test match on Pakistan soil and his long-cherished dream would finally be fulfilled when the visitors turn out in a five-day game here after 24 years.
"I have always wanted to play a Test series in Pakistan because it's a challenge and finally we are getting that chance now. It feels good to be part of a historic tour which could see the full return of international cricket in Pakistan," Smith said in a media interaction ahead of the first Test of the three-match series starting in Rawalpindi on March 4.
"Many of us have come to Pakistan for the first time so it is an exciting tour for us and we are looking forward to some challenging cricket." Smith, who is the vice-captain of the side, also praised Pat Cummins for leading the team fantastically well in Test cricket.
Smith, a former Australia captain, said they are expecting the pitches here to help the spinners.
Smith also made it clear that they trusted the security measures put in place for them in Pakistan and he and his teammates felt "incredibly safe" on their first tour of Pakistan in nearly 24 years, a day after it was reported that spinner Ashton Agar's partner received a death threat via social media just days before the start of the first Test.
The Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket Australia later said they had investigated the threat and didn't find it to be creditable. Smith said Pakistan had a good Test side and the people here are passionate about the game and the coming series should produce some competitive cricket. He was also asked about the concussion he sustained while fielding when his head hit the ground hard in a T20 match against Sri Lanka last month at Sydney and Smith said he was feeling okay and in good space.
"I think I have progressed well and it's the first session back for me facing fast bowling. I'm recovering from the concussion and I've faced some side-arm and spinners," Smith said.
Australia's Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Michael Neser, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, and David Warner.
Australia's ODI and T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
Australia's tour of Pakistan:
March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi
March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi
March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore
March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi
March 31: Second ODI, Rawalpindi
April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi
April 5: One-off T20I, Rawalpindi
