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‘He Is The Number One Batter’ - Nathan Lyon Is Upbeat About His Duel With Babar Azam

image-lpm4okdhBabar has a great track record against Australia. (AP)

As he gears up for his return to Test cricket after a calf injury cut short his Ashes campaign earlier this year, Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon anticipates the significant challenge of facing Pakistan's "No.1 superstar" Babar Azam during the upcoming three-match home Test series starting on December 14 in Perth.

Babar stands out as one of the premier all-format batter in the world, maintaining remarkable consistency across different forms of the game. Heading into his second Test tour of Australia, Babar's stellar performance in the last Test series suggests that he will pose a formidable challenge for the Australian bowlers. 

Notably, Lyon has been a persistent adversary for Babar, dismissing him five times since 2016, with the batter averaging 43 against the Australian off-spinner. 

In the previous Test series in Australia, Babar emerged as one of the top-performing visiting batters, scoring a century and a 97. Overall, he has accumulated 799 runs from 19 innings at an average of 44.39 in Tests against Australia.

Expressing his admiration for Babar, Lyon stated, 

"Babar, firstly, has been a pleasure to play against but he's also been a massive challenge. He's one of the best batters in the world in my eyes, especially against spin. He's a class player. But think he's a class player against all types of bowling. They've got some superstars in the side, and if I'm talking superstars he's the No. 1 in the Pakistan side in my eyes. He played reasonably well out here last time so it's going to be a big challenge for us for sure,"  Lyon told ESPNcricinfo. 

The upcoming Test in Perth will mark Lyon's return to the format since his premature withdrawal from the Ashes in England due to injury.

Expressing his heightened enthusiasm for Test cricket, Lyon remarked, 

"The hunger to play Test matches is probably higher than ever, to be honest. I'm genuinely excited about it. I love playing at Optus Stadium in Perth. Facing Pakistan will indeed be a challenge, making it an exciting battle."

In the recent past, Babar has encountered difficulties against right-arm off-spinners, heightening the intrigue surrounding his duel with Lyon, aptly nicknamed the 'GOAT'. 

Lyon, who has 496 Test wickets, stands on the cusp of becoming the eighth player and third Australian to reach the milestone of 500 Test wickets.

The three-match Test series against Pakistan commences on December 14 in Perth, followed by matches in Melbourne (starting December 26) and Sydney (starting January 3).