Touring India Tests You Physically, Mentally: Nathan Lyon

Australia might be busy fending off the challenge posed by Pakistan in the ongoing ODI series Down Under, however, the Aussies seem to have already shifted their focus on their tour of India in February-March. Following comments made by captain Steven Smith and coach Darren Lehmann, Nathan Lyon is the latest to talk about the hardships of touring India. The off-spinner said the upcoming series will test them physically and mentally and put each and every performance of the team under the microscope.

The four-Test series between India and Australia starts on February 23 in Pune, followed by Bengaluru (March 4-8), Ranchi (March 16-20) and Dharamsala (March 25-29).

Australia will be wary of the fact that India thrashed them 4-0 during their last tour in 2013.

"Recent history tells us that over the past 10 years India has lost just four of 49 Tests at home - two to South Africa and two to England," Lyon wrote in a column for Sydney Morning Herald.

"Touring there tests you physically and mentally. It puts every area of your skill and resilience under the microscope. To stand up and play well in India is to announce yourself as a world class team and that is what we want to do.

Lyon admitted that adapting to Indian conditions will be key and the Australian team may have to play ugly to get the desired results.

"We may have to play ugly to score runs and take wickets. Captain Steve Smith talked about adapting to the conditions," added the 29-year-old.

Lyon, who has taken 228 wickets in 63 Tests, said the team will have to be patient and and adjust to th type of wickets.

"The most important thing I found when I toured there four years ago was adjusting to the type of wickets we'll be playing on," he wrote.

"They're going to be spin-friendly but India's batsmen are probably the best players of spin in the world, so we're going to have to be patient.

"In India, Test matches tend to start slowly but they can speed up very quickly. It's about hanging in there and trying to win the big moments throughout the day."

Lyon pointed at the relative inexperience of the Australian in Indian conditions but said the new personnel had the ability to do well.

"Most of our new-look team have never played a Test in India. With all the recent changes only Steve Smith, David Warner, Matt Wade and myself are survivors from 2013. Seven of us remain from last year's tour of Sri Lanka, which presented similar conditions," he wrote.

"But there is an energy and a belief in this young group which we saw during the second half of the summer. The way they play their natural game gives me the confidence we can climb cricket's biggest mountain."