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Rediff.com  » Cricket » Australia commence mind games, say 'pressure is right on India'

Australia commence mind games, say 'pressure is right on India'

March 13, 2017 18:31 IST
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Australia players celebrate the wicket of India captain Virat Kohli in the first Test in Pune, Australia dominated India in that first Test and will look to bounce back in Randhi after losing the 2nd Test in Bangalore last week

IMAGE: Australia players celebrate the wicket of India captain Virat Kohli in the first Test in Pune, Australia dominated India in that first Test and will look to bounce back in Randhi after losing the 2nd Test in Bangalore last week. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

Australia's leading spinner Nathan Lyon said the "pressure is right on India" in the ongoing four-match Test series.

The series is poised at 1-1 with two more matches scheduled in Ranchi and Dharamsala.

"There's a lot of belief. There's a lot of people who wrote us off, before we even got on a plane and landed in Dubai, let alone coming over here. We're one win away from retaining the trophy and that's what we are here to do,” Lyon was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.

"The pressure is right on India -- there's no pressure on us. Everyone said 'we were going to lose 4-0, they're no good, they're a young cricket team learning,' but we believe we can beat the best teams anywhere in the world. We need to just keep worrying about what we're doing. India can carry on or do whatever they want to do.

"We proved that in the first Test, we came close in the second Test and even that hurt -- that's probably the best thing about that game. I think they're feeling the pressure a little bit to be honest. And it's good,” the off-spinner added.

The Australians left Bengaluru for Ranchi on Monday and Lyon, who left India flummoxed with his off spinners in the first innings of the second Test in Bengaluru, briefly spoke about the importance of reverse swing.

"With our air speed and ability to get the ball reversing, and the earlier we can do that the better off it is," Lyon said.

After suffering a humiliating 333-run defeat in the first Test at Pune, India bounced back in a big way and registered a resounding 75-run victory to level the four-match series.

With the series leveled 1-1, Australia will try to retain the trophy with another win in the third Test to be played in Ranchi beginning March 16.

Test Squads

India : Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.

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