New Delhi: No matter how successful he is, Nathan Lyon admits to be forever in the late Shane spine great Warne’s shadow. After Warne’s retirement in 2007 with 708 Test wickets, Lyon has succeeded as Australia’s premier spinner in five-day format.
With 530 wickets in 129 Tests at an average of 30.28, Lyon has established himself as a leading spinner of modern-day cricket. Yet, he has no qualms in admitting that Warne remains the reference point when it comes to Australian spinners.
“I probably struggled with it early doors because you would be trying your hardest every game, but I feel like the media and the Australian public were asking, ‘who’s the next spinner? We need a spinner to do what Shane Warne did on the last day,’” Lyon told Sky Cricket.
“And I’m 10 matches into my first-class career. I’m never going to be able to do what Warnie did. Warnie’s once-in-a-generation, he’s the greatest to play the game in my opinion.”
The off-spinner also said that with age and experience he has become far more comfortable in his own skin and has learnt to live with comparisons with Warne. But in his early years it did take a toll on him.
“All I wanted to do was make my family proud and make Shane Warne proud and just go out there and compete I still feel in the shadow of Shane Warne now and I’m 129 Test matches in with 530 wickets,” the right armer added.
“The thing is, I’m happy with that, and I’m comfortable with that now. A lot of us felt the pressure of Shane Warne’s shadow… and it probably took me a good five, six, seven years to understand that pressure is a privilege. And if you’ve got pressure, you’re doing OK, enjoy it.”
Lyon will be one of Australia’s best bets to provide early breakthroughs in their upcoming Border-Gavaskar series against India, where they would host five Tests beginning with the first match in Perth from November 22.
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