India boycotting Gabba Test: The Australian spinner remains unworried by worrying reports doing the rounds since yesterday.
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Australia spinner Nathan Lyon considers the biosecurity bubble life as a “small sacrifice” and something players should “get on with it” despite being in bio-bubbles for more several months now.
“I know there’s a few people from both squads who have been in a bubble for close to six months now, but in my eyes it’s a very small sacrifice for us to get out there and play the game that we love and put a lot of smiles on a lot of people’s faces around the world.
“It [bio-secure bubble life] has all been okay in my eyes. We just need to suck it up and get on with it,” Lyon told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
Referring to five Indian players visiting an indoor restaurant in Melbourne, Lyon accepted it as a mistake and laid emphasis on not falling for whatever the media says. It is worth mentioning that all concerned players and support staff from both the teams had tested negative for COVID-19 in the morning before heading to Sydney for the third Test.
“People make mistakes, we get that. But it’s just making sure we go out there and worry about what’s happening and try and prepare the best way we can for a Test match, and not look too much into anything else that the media’s blowing up,” Lyon further said.
Nathan Lyon unperturbed by reports of India boycotting Gabba Test
Being asked about the reported Indian boycott of the fourth Test in Brisbane due to strict quarantine rules, Lyon was unperturbed about the whole matter saying that the thought of not playing at the Gabba never crossed him.
With no official word from either of the two boards, the 33-year old player clarified that the Australian team is more focused on the imminent Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“I’m not even thinking about not playing at the Gabba. Everyone keeps talking about the Gabba Test match but there’s a massive Test match in a couple of days at the SCG and that’s where all our focus is at the moment. To be honest, I’m not really worried about what’s being reported.
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“We’ve heard nothing as players, so we travel up to Sydney today and hopefully get the result we’re after and then straight on a plane up to Brissie [Brisbane] and we’ll play up there. We all know how much we love playing cricket at the Gabba and we know our record there as well, so all plans are to go to the Gabba,” Lyon added.
If things go as per plan, Lyon will become the 13th Australian cricketer to play his 100th Test when Australia take on India in Brisbane from January 15. Currently Australia’s third-highest wicket-taker with 394 Test wickets, Lyon might well become only the third Australian bowler after Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563) to cross the 400-wicket mark in Tests in either of these two matches.
