Ex-Pakistan Star Slams Australia Spinner's 5-0 India Prediction

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has labeled Nathan Lyon's prediction of a 5-0 victory for Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series against India as "stupid." Lyon made the comment during a conversation on the Willow Talk podcast, responding to a question from ex-Australian cricketer Brad Haddin.

Basit condemned Lyon's remarks, suggesting they are unbecoming of a player, and encouraged Indian bowler Ravichandran Ashwin to respond.

Basit stated, "Nathan Lyon's assertion that Australia will win all five Tests is ridiculous. In the last two series, India has outperformed Australia. Such comments are not appropriate coming from cricketers. Statements like these are fine for legends like Ricky Ponting, but I urge Ashwin to counter Lyon's prediction by saying India will win 5-0 instead."

Even though the BGT series is scheduled for November, players are already expressing their enthusiasm for the matchup. While Lyon is confident in Australia’s chances, fellow Australian Travis Head noted that the Rohit Sharma-led Indian team is "extremely difficult" to compete against.

Speaking to Star Sports, Head remarked that he doesn't consider India as his favorite opponent, acknowledging their frequent encounters. He mentioned, "We play against them often, and I’ve been in good form lately, so it's nice to contribute to the team. It’s always competitive, and I look forward to the challenge."

The Border-Gavaskar series is set to kick off on November 22, with the first Test taking place in Perth.

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