Axar, Ashwin could easily bat in top six of best Test teams: Australia spinner Nathan Lyon

New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): Australia spinner Nathan Lyon heaped praises on Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin for their batting performances reckoning that the duo could easily make it as batters in the top Test-playing nations around the world.
Axar was India's highest scorer in the second Test for the hosts with a superb 74-run knock while Ashwin also chipped in with 37 runs. The duo ensured that India did not concede a massive first-inning lead to Australia.
"They're not low order. Let's get that clear. Axar and Ash could easily bat in the top six in a few teams in Test cricket around the world, in my eyes. So let's be clear that they are not the lower order. They got a very long top order. Let's say that," Lyon said.
Commenting on Travis Head's quick 39-run knock in the second inning, he said, "Yeah. Obviously, I am quite close with Trav and there's no secret behind that. I think that's been well-acknowledged around the world. So, yeah, I did reach out to him. I did see if he was okay because it can be a challenging time. But Trav being Trav and what I love about him, he always looks at the positives. He always wants to do the right role for the team in the best way. So he was extremely confident coming into this game and that's the travel I love and that I'm really happy to see him out there competing in the way he is at the moment."
Lyon did not put a score that the visitors were looking to put against India in the second inning but mentioned that the team will be looking to be positive on the third day of the second Test.
"I'm not going to give you a number, mate, to be honest. I think whatever we get, we've just got to make sure it's enough. And that's the mentality of what we need to do. We need to come here tomorrow and be really brave and trust the guys methods when they got the whole support of the whole management to go out there and play the way that they want to play and the way that they think they can best combat the quality spinners or quality bowling intact that India have. So whatever we set is we just got to make sure it's enough," the Australian said.
A 114-run partnership bailed India out of trouble in the first innings of the second Test match being played here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi with the team conceding just one run lead to Australia.
At the end of the second day, Australia had scored 61 runs with the loss of one wicket in their second innings, taking their lead to 62 runs with nine wickets in hand. Travis Head scored 39 of 40 balls while Marcus Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 16. (ANI)