England's young spinner Shoaib Bashir has reacted to Nathan Lyon's comments, where the Australian great rated Jack Leach as England's best spinner and referred to Bashir's performances as "okay." Bashir didn't seem to mind the comment and said everyone has opinions, which aren't something he worries about, and praised Lyon's skillset, as Lyon has a masterful sense of overspin and is able to create a lot of sharp revolutions on the ball and this is why he has had success as one of the most successful spinners in modern-day cricket.

However, we know that Bashir is a calm and happy guy, but it looks like he is motivated to prove a point after Lyon's comments, and he could get the opportunity to do so in The Ashes 2025. The 21-year-old may be out for the foreseeable future, as his finger injury and subsequent surgery following the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy have kept him sidelined from competitive cricket, but when fit, Bashir is expected to fill a key role in England's spin department, and will likely be even more determined to shut up people and perform well in Australian conditions.

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“Everyone has their own opinions, and that’s fine. I just stick to what I believe and what the people around me believe. I don’t really look at that stuff. I do enjoy the way he bowls, especially his overspin, it’s a great asset he has, and the amount of revs he puts on the ball,” Bashir in an interaction.

England have chosen Shoaib Bashir as their lead spinner in Tests

England have several spin options in Jack Leach and Liam Dawson, yet the selectors have shown faith in Shoaib Bashir, who has impressed in a short career. His height and high-arm release give him an edge, producing bounce and overspin—qualities England believe will be crucial in Australian conditions. Much like Nathan Lyon, Bashir extracts sharp bounce after pitching, a trait that could make him highly effective on the bouncy tracks Down Under. This potential has convinced the management to groom him as their lead spinner.

However, Bashir still has areas to refine, especially in maintaining control. He often bowls loose deliveries, making it difficult to string together consistently tight overs in the longest format. Despite this, England view him as a long-term investment who already has the natural attributes to succeed. If he can overcome his control issues, Bashir has the potential to evolve into a complete spinner capable of making a significant impact in The Ashes 2025 and beyond.

The veteran Australia off-spinner, Nathan Lyon, feels that spin will play a huge role during their home summer for the Ashes 2025/26 against England, who may be surprised with their pace-bowling planning. The Ben Stokes-led side will enter their fifth and final WC contest at home this year with no frontline spinner after Shoaib Bashir’s injury and the decision to drop Liam Dawson. 

Lyon was present before the reporters during a Cricket Australia Sponsorship announcement in Sydney on July 31 and provided many insights into how the two sides should plan for the oldest rivalry in the game this November. He suggested that England will need to re-jig their plans before the opening contest on November 21 in Perth.

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‘I played with Jimmy Anderson last year at Lancashire, and he said that they're picking Bashir to do what I do. So I took a little bit of pride out of Jimmy respecting a little bit of what I've been able to do in my career. But Bashir has been OK. Jacob Bethell is playing this Test match (at The Oval against India).’ The New South Wales spinner expressed.

Nathan Lyon suggests England to rejig plans for Ashes 2025/26

Lyon was left out of the Australian playing eleven for the first time apart from injury since he made his debut against Sri Lanka 13 years ago. He didn’t play their recent red-ball fixture against West Indies at the Sabina Park in Jamaica, as Scott Boland replaced him due to the day-night game with the pink ball assisting the pacers.

It is a massive role, and it can be a massive challenge for people who haven't done it in the past in these conditions. But I'm not going to let my secrets out, so they come out and perform well out here. Our guys know how to play spin well in this country. That's probably what helped me develop my skill to where it is at the moment. I know I'll keep trying to get better, and we'll see how their spinners go.’ The veteran informed.

Australia has been unbeaten at home against the England side since losing the 2011/12 series. They retained the urn during the last series in 2023 after drawing with a 2-2 margin.

Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon has brushed aside any speculation about retirement, saying he remains as committed as ever to Test cricket, with major milestones and unfinished business still driving him forward. While he has recently handed over the iconic post-match victory song duties to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, Lyon insists that this move is in no way linked to winding down his international career.

“I’ve been very honoured to first lead the song, but to have it for 12, 13 years, it’s been one of the biggest highlights of my career,” Lyon said. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but this definitely doesn’t mean I’m retiring anytime soon. There’s no talk about me retiring or even thoughts coming in my head.”

The 36-year-old, currently in the Caribbean with the Australian team, has his eyes firmly set on two major targets before calling time on his career an away Ashes win in England and a long-awaited series triumph in India. “I’ve always said I want to win away in India, and I want to win away in England,” he stressed. “We’ve got that opportunity in a couple of years’ time, but right now it’s about getting the job done here in the West Indies and then preparing for a big summer back home with the Ashes. Another World Test Championship final is also on my radar.”

Lyon Nears 600 Wickets, Hands Team Song to Carey

Lyon’s stature in Australian cricket is already monumental. He is the most successful off-spinner in the country’s history and is inching closer to the 600-wicket milestone. At his current strike rate of four wickets per Test, Lyon is well on course to surpass that mark and perhaps even challenge Shane Warne’s legendary tally of 708. Though Lyon is quick to downplay comparisons, saying, “Warney’s a long way away. In my eyes, he’s the greatest to ever play the game,” the numbers suggest that Lyon’s legacy could rival the very best.

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The off-spinner took over the tradition of leading Australia’s post-win anthem Under The Southern Cross I Stand from Mike Hussey in 2013. That torch has now been passed to Carey, but in a symbolic and thoughtful gesture, Lyon ensured the moment was personal, slipping a letter under Carey’s hotel room door during the Barbados Test.

“It’s more about the team environment and making sure that I get the opportunity to pass it on to someone who I look at and absolutely love and the way he goes about it on and off the field,” Lyon explained. “I just feel like Alex is the perfect candidate. I feel like I ran my race with it, and it’s time for someone else to put their touch on it.”

Lyon Reflects on 13-Year Journey, Eyes More Milestones Ahead

Now 13 years into his Test journey, Lyon is one of only two survivors alongside Mitchell Starc from Australia’s 2012 tour of the West Indies. Reflecting on that continuity and commitment, Lyon said, “There’s been a lot of hard work that goes in behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t see. But I was sitting on the balcony this morning thinking, s**t, I was here in 2012.”

With a minimum of 21 more Tests possible in the current World Test Championship cycle, plus a landmark 150th anniversary Test against England in 2027, Lyon’s journey is far from done. In his own words, he's still "playing his role" in what he believes is a team on the path to greatness, and he intends to be part of that climb for a while yet.

Jasprit Bumrah is a world-class bowler with a myriad of tricks up his sleeve. When times are hard and the captain throws the ball to him, Bumrah often rises up to the occasion to take the attack to the opposition. A mere mention of his name is enough to make the batters tremble in fear across all formats. But Bumrah, just like all of us, is no godly creature. Being a mortal being, he is also entitled to make mistakes, and there are often times when he misses his mark in pivotal moments.

In this article, we shed light on the top five moments when Bumrah his no-ball turned out to be a costly miss for his side. 

See also: Bumrah Steals the Show with Stunning Five-Wicket Haul

Fakhar Zaman (Champions Trophy 2017, Final)

This is probably the costliest no-ball Bumrah has ever bowled in his international career. Facing up to Pakistan in an all-important Champions Trophy Final, India couldn't have afforded a defeat against their arch-rivals. But Bumrah gave Fakhar Zaman a huge let-off early on in the innings, which probably decided the game in Pakistan's favor. Bumrah had Zaman caught behind when Pakistan's score read 17-0. The entire team started celebrating, and Zaman was already on his way back. But soon enough, it all came crashing down once it was later revealed in a no-ball check that Bumrah had overstepped by some distance while delivering the ball. Zaman was called back, and he went on a rampage, smashing 114 (106). As a result of this swashbuckling onslaught from the Zaman, Pakistan were able to score big and dismantle India cheaply in the second innings, winning the game by 180 runs.  

Nathan Lyon (Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 series, Fourth Test)

This will probably not go down as the costliest miss, but it will remind the fans how India struggled to dismiss the last wicket Aussie stand. In the fourth Test of the BGT 2024-25 Series, India had Australia reeling at 91-7. After a bit of resistance from the lower order, India needed one wicket to wrap up the tail. But much to their frustration, Lyon and Bolan made India toil hard. Even with Bumrah at the helm, India struggled to break the last wicket stand. During the last over of the day, Bumrah had Lyon caught at gully, where Rahul pouched the catch safely. The Indians seemed relieved at that point, knowing that the agony had just come to an end. As they began walking off the field, the late signal of a no-ball was issued by the on-field umpire, thus denying him a wicket. The two Aussie tailenders returned the next day and added a total of 63 runs for the last wicket to give India a hefty target of 340, which at the end turned out to be way beyond their reach. 

Harry Brook (Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, First Test)

In the ongoing Headingly Test, India had the opportunity to put a tight squeeze on England and achieve a sizeable first-innings lead. But that opportunity went begging as Bumrah once again got too tight on the popping crease. Bumrah bowled an exceptional short-pitched delivery to surprise Harry Brook. Given the English batter's natural instinct, Brook tried to take a swipe at it but instead got a genuine top edge. He never had any timing on that, and the catch was comfortably taken by the fielder near mid-on. At the time, Brook was batting on a duck, and much to his delight, Brook was called back as Bumrah's front foot went over the line by some distance. From that point onwards, Brook never looked back and scored at an alarming rate to punish the Indian bowlers. He survived further close calls along the way, but his luck ran out when he was caught at deep fine leg on 99. By that time, England managed to wipe out a major chunk of the deficit thanks to Brook's electrifying onslaught. In the end, India could only secure a narrow lead of six runs, but the case would have been a lot different had Bumrah not bowled a no-ball earlier.

Upul Tharanga (Home ODI series 2017, First ODI)

It was the first ODI of the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. India were skittled cheaply in front of their home crowd for 117 on a juicy wicket. With such a low total to defend, wickets were the need of the hour for India if they had to make a game out of it. They had their moment when Bumrah dismissed Tharanga off a catch. But the no‑ball negated it, and Tharanga got off the hook. It was also a time Sri Lanka found themselves in a tricky situation, and that wicket could have possibly changed the complexion of the game. However, much to the despair of the home side, Tharana took full advantage of the reprieve and made India pay. In that run chase, Tharanga went on to score 49 and stayed unbeaten to steer Sri Lanka to a comfortable win.

Ollie Pope and Alex Lees (Pataudi Trophy 2021-2022, Fifth Test)

This match marked a rare instance when Bumrah committed a double no-ball blunder. In the fifth test, India needed a draw to win the series and had England with their backs against the wall. Bumrah dismissed two batters in the same match after bowling no‑balls—first Lees, then Pope. He famously laughed after the wicket, acknowledging the irony. Although the two batters did not go on to make a significant contribution in that Test, Lees still managed to chip in with a healthy 56 in the fourth innings to give England a reasonable platform to chase down a mammoth 378 and level the series 2-2.

The defending champions, Australia, are all set to clash with South Africa in the upcoming World Test Championship Final at Lord's on June 11. The fierce rivalry involves high stakes, and Australia will be looking to defend their crown by all means possible. They won their first WTC title by beating India back in 2023 by a colossal margin of 209 runs. The Aussies have played fearless cricket up until now and booked their WTC berth for a second time in a row by overcoming a resilient Indian side in a closely contested Border Gavaskar Trophy (2024-25) earlier this year. 

The 37-year-old off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been a key figure for Australia in the longest format, featuring himself as a frontline spinner. With a tally of 553 Test scalps, Lyon alone accounted for 66 wickets in the ongoing edition of the WTC, making him the third-highest wicket-taker from Australia. He is a part of Andrew McDonald’s squad that will take on South Africa in the forthcoming WTC clash. 

See also: WTC champions should get to host the final of the following edition: Pat Cummins

Lyon reflects on Australia's dream run prior to the WTC Final buildup

The veteran off-spinner acknowledges how big a moment it is for Australia to reach the top summit. Although he is aware that they are not there yet, he is full of hope and optimism and remains positive that his side will be able to conquer another milestone. 

“It is important that we look at this week as a celebration piece. We’ve done incredibly well over the last couple of years, at home and away, and that is something that as a team, we should be really proud of. In my eyes, we’re on a journey to becoming a great Australian team. We’re not there yet, I’m well aware of that, but that’s our goal too. This game is another step up that ladder.”

Australia came second in the WTC points table, achieving an impressive 67.54 per cent of the points. Besides, they were the only team not to lose a series in this time period. South Africa was the first ones to qualify for the WTC final. They got there on the back of a narrow two-wicket victory against Pakistan in Centurion. 

Lyon has an impressive record against South Africa in this format, featuring in 18 games and claiming 56 wickets, including one five-fer (5-136). He powered Australia to their maiden WTC final by picking the match-winning wicket of Mohammed Siraj at the Oval. Bavuma & Co. have their work cut out and will need to come up with a robust plan to neutralize the threat of Lyon in this do-or-die Final.

Despite the middle-order batting collapse, the hosts Australia are still in the controlling position at the end of the fourth day of the Melbourne Test. Now, a big challenge is waiting for the visitors India for the fifth day of the Test match.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was out for 114 runs after review drama

India started the fourth day at 358/9. The drama started very early in the morning when Aussie skipper Pat Cummins asked for a review despite the third umpire already checking and confirming not out on India’s last man Mohammed Siraj. Three balls later, Nitish Kumar Reddy lost his wicket after scoring 114 runs as India were all out for 369 runs.

Also Watch: Commentary box reaction after knowing "Nathan Lyon is a taklu"

Indian bowlers dominated the first half of the Australian second innings

Australia started their second innings of the Test match with a lead of 105 runs. Jasprit Bumrah bowled Sam Konstas for eight runs, while Mohammed Siraj was in a good rhythm and bowled the other opener Usman Khawaja for 21 runs, who was earlier dropped for one run by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

In the second session, India made a strong comeback in the game when the Australian middle-order batting was clueless. The hosts went down from 80/2 to 91/6, where Siraj took the wicket of Steven Smith (13), and Bumrah dismissed Travis Head (1), Mitchell Marsh (0), and Alex Carey (2).

Jaiswal's drops cost India

In the second session, Jaiswal dropped two more chances, which cost the visitors heavily. After failing to hold Marnus Labuschagne’s regulation catch at the gully, Jaiswal gave life to Aussie skipper Pat Cummins at the silly point in the final over of the session. 

Cummins and Lyon added crucial runs after Labuschagne’s 70 runs

In the last session, Labuschange was ultimately dismissed by Mohammed Siraj after scoring 70 runs. He had a crucial 57-run partnership with Cummins for the seventh wicket. 

Soon, Mitchell Starc (1) was run out brilliantly by the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant with an incredible throw. Before Cummins was out for 41 runs, he had a 17-run partnership with Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket.

Indian bowlers fought hard but failed to pick up the last wicket of the innings. In the final over of the day, it looked like Bumrah dismissed Nathan Lyon as KL Rahul managed to take a catch at the third slip, but a no-ball from the bowler ruled out that dismissal. 

Lyon and Scott Boland have already set a 55-run partnership for the unbroken last wicket. While Lyon scored 41 not out, Boland scored 10 not out. 

Australia ended the day with a score of 228/9, as the hosts already earned a handsome-looking lead of 333 runs. Jasprit Bumrah picked up four wickets (4/56), while Mohammed Siraj got three wickets (3/66) and Ravindra Jadeja claimed one wicket (1/33).

During the third day of the Melbourne Test between Australia and India, the former Australian cricketer Kerry O'Keefe revealed a hilarious incident when he came to know what bald is known as in the Hindi language. 

It was the moment when Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar were busy rescuing the visitors in the Melbourne Test as India were still busy avoiding the follow-on of Australia’s first innings total of 474 runs.

Also Watch: Captain Virat Kohli returns to dismiss Steven Smith

‘Who is the taklu?’

Former Australian cricketers Kerry O'Keefe and Adam Gilchrist were busy in the commentary box. At the end of the 79th over, Nathan Lyon was called bald eagle from the commentary box. At that moment, O'Keefe revisited his memory of when he learned what Indian fans called a bald man. 

O'Keefe said in the commentary box, “In Hindi, it’s Taklu, because I posted my joke from a cricket show, and the Indians on Twitter responded with ‘Who is the taklu?’ on the end, and I thought a picture of this shocking word about me. I looked it up in Hindi, ‘It’s a bald man’. So Nathan Lyon is a taklu.” O'Keefe felt hilarious while Gilchrist was shocked. 

"Nathan Lyon is a taklu"
Kerry O'Keefe 🤣🤣🔥 pic.twitter.com/hkCmzA8aW2

— Himanshu🇮🇳 (@HIMANSHU_333333) December 28, 2024

Melbourne Test is moving to thrilling finish

While the Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal scored a powerful 82 runs off 118 balls, other Indian top-order and middle-order batters failed to capitalise on their starts. Lately, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar rescued the visitors with their historic 127-run partnership for the eighth wicket. With the help of Reddy’s 114 and Sundar’s 50 runs, India managed to score 369 runs. 

At the stumps on the fourth day, Australia scored 228/9 with a lead of 333 runs. The hosts were once struggling at 91/6. While Marnus Labuschagne scored a crucial 70 runs, captain Pat Cummins scored 41 runs. Also, Nathan Lyon remained not out at 41 runs. 

While the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah picked up four wickets in Australia’s second innings, Mohammed Siraj also took three wickets.

On December 18, 2024, the cricketing world was left stunned by the news of Ravi Ashwin's sudden announcement of retirement from international cricket following the conclusion of the Gabba Test. His retirement triggered an unprecedented wave of wishes that poured in from several corners of the cricket world, most notably from leading cricketing experts and former cricketers.

In a bid to pay a departing tribute to the spin-bowling wizard, Australian skipper Pat Cummins and top Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon gifted a signed Australian Test jersey on Wednesday. The indications of Ashwin's retirement became all too clear when he walked out with India captain Rohit Sharma and accompanied him during the press conference to address his international retirement.

See also: Travis Head doubtful for Melbourne Test? Cummins gives crucial update

Cummins and Lyon present the signed jersey

A video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), captured the very moment when the two Aussie players went up to Ashwin to hand a signed Australia Test jersey in the hallway of the iconic Gabba in Brisbane.

While giving him the signed shirt, Cummins was reportedly heard saying the following:

"Well done mate, thank you, you have been great."

Watch here:

A Legend Bids Adieu to International Cricket 👏👏

Hear what R Ashwin’s parting words were to the Indian dressing room 🎥🔽#TeamIndia | @ashwinravi99 https://t.co/6wtwdDOmzX

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 18, 2024

A peek into Ashwin's illustrious career

Ashwin started his Test journey in 2011 with a match against the West Indies, after which he established himself as a prominent player in red-ball cricket. Over the course of 106 Test matches, he bagged an impressive total of 537 wickets, which includes 37 instances of five-wicket hauls, while also accumulating 3,503 runs. 

Moreover, Ashwin's exploits with the bat also helped him evolve as a technically potent all-rounder across all formats. Ashwin currently holds the record of being the fastest Indian bowler to claim 350 Test wickets.

Veteran Australia spinner Nathan Lyon applauded star India spinner R Ashwin, considering the significant influence Ashwin has had on his career as well. The Australian spinner also named Ashwin as one of his mentors, particularly during his preparations for tours to India as well. However, Lyon has often seen footage of R Ashwin's bowling on the subcontinent's spin-friendly pitches to know his strategies and improve his own game too.

"He's taught me a lot," Lyon admitted. "I'm a big believer that the players you compete against are your best coaches. I've watched a lot of his footage heading over to India, the way he goes about it here in Australia, and see if I can pick up anything."

R Ashwin to play a key role for India

However, both the bowlers have done well in their respective careers, with Lyon generating overspin and bounce on Australian pitches, while R Ashwin has the ability to bowl relentlessly with many variations, including his famous carrom ball as well.

Reflecting on this, Nathan Lyon jokingly shared that star Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's close watch on media reports, adding, "I know Jadeja reads all of this stuff, so I can't really share all my secrets." However, he did share insight into his approach: "My big thing is spinning up the back of the ball and getting bounce, but it's a hard craft to be able to do that in Australia. Your margin for error is extremely small."

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As the Test series approaches, Nathan Lyon also opened up on the challenge of facing a world-class Indian side. Despite Australia's recent win over India in the World Test Championship final, Lyon said that India have the upper hand in the Border-Gavaskar series, with the Australians failing to register a Test series win in India in nearly a decade as well.

"India's got the wood over us in the past few series" - Nathan Lyon

"India's got the wood over us in the past few series, but if you're looking at the World Test Championship (final) in England, we were able to beat them there, and I know that should give us a bit of confidence heading into this summer," Nathan Lyon concluded. "I feel like we're on the journey to becoming a great team. We're not there yet, there's a bit of work to do, but we have the opportunity to do something pretty special this summer."

However, India, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, will try to bounce back from a 3-0 series whitewash to New Zealand as well. And cricket fans can expect thrilling encounters between the two sides as well.

India's veteran spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, is all set to resume his international season with the upcoming home Test matches against Bangladesh. With 516 wickets in his Test career, Ashwin has his eyes set on climbing the ladder of all-time wicket-takers. As he prepares for series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia looms on the horizon, where Ashwin aims to leave an indelible mark on cricket history.

Ashwin’s record-breaking ambitions in Bangladesh and beyond

Ravichandran Ashwin, one of India's greatest spinners, has been a consistent force in Test cricket, especially at home. Since 2021, Ashwin has taken 109 wickets in home Tests, far ahead of his closest competitor, Ravindra Jadeja, who has 56 wickets. With his total of 516 wickets in Test cricket, Ashwin is currently ninth on the all-time list of wicket-takers. He is closing in on legends like Courtney Walsh (519), Nathan Lyon (530), and Glenn McGrath (563), with the real possibility of surpassing Lyon's tally in the upcoming home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

See also: ACC launches new Women's U19 tournament

Home dominance and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Ashwin is not only looking to climb the all-time wicket-takers' list but is also gunning for another milestone at home. With 363 wickets in home Tests, he is chasing Stuart Broad’s record of 398 wickets in home conditions. If Ashwin maintains his stellar form, he could surpass Broad in 2024. Ashwin's recent performance against England, where he took 26 wickets in 5 matches, shows that he is in fine touch. The upcoming matches in Bangladesh and New Zealand will serve as a precursor to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where Ashwin hopes to continue his dominance on Australian soil, where he has taken 39 wickets in 10 Tests.

With a strong support cast that includes Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Jadeja, and Axar Patel, Ashwin is poised for a stellar season ahead. The spinner is inching closer to securing his legacy as one of the greatest Test bowlers of all time, with the World Test Championship Final at Lord's as a possible crowning achievement.