The anticipated absence of celebrated India captain Virat Kohli from three of the four Tests scheduled to be played between Australia and India this summer should not be viewed as a guaranteed win for Australia, Test great Nathan Lyon has cautioned. Kohli will miss out on the final three Tests against Australia due to paternity leave granted in order for him to return back home to India for the birth of his and wife Anushka Sharma’s first child.
Even in the absence of the India captain, said Lyon, the Aussies will have a lot of work and effort remaining to be done if they’re to successfully combat a champion-laced India army and bring home the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Lyon did however add that the prospect of three Tests without Kohli remains a disappointing one for the series in general. The desire is always to play against the best players in the world, said the star off-spinner, and few players come even close to Virat Kohli’s calibre. Kohli, added Lyon, along with Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, is widely regarded to be one of the world’s three best cricketers.
The off-spinner this week saw his summer off to great start with the help of three final-day wickets taken against Tasmania in New South Wales’ Marsh Sheffield Shield campaign. His were however five less wickets denied than star NSW all-rounder Sean Abbott. Who practically dominated with the ball as well as the bat across three stunning matches played.
Lyon described Abbott’s bowling as exceptional and his batting improved beyond expectation.
| Rank | Site | Bonus | Bet | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Ladbrokes |  | 5/5 | 100% Match up to $250 | Bet now Review |
| 2 |  | Palmerbet | | 4.9/5 | 100% Match | Bet now Review |
| 3 |  | Picklebet | | 4.8/5 | Login to see promotions | Bet now Review |