Nathan Lyon thinks the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 is an important step for Australia to become one of the best Test teams ever.
Nathan Lyon thinks the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 is a big step for Australia to become one of the greatest Test teams ever.
The 37-year-old off-spinner is in Andrew McDonald’s team to play South Africa at Lord’s in the final of the 2023-25 World Test Championship.
Australia wants to keep the title they won in 2023 by beating India by 209 runs at The Oval. Lyon, who took the important wicket of Mohammed Siraj in that match, hopes to continue the team’s progress from that win.
Nathan Lyon said, “This week is a time to celebrate. We have done really well in the last few years, both at home and away. As a team, we should be proud of that. I believe we are on the way to becoming a great Australian team. We are not there yet, but that is our goal. This game is another step toward that goal.”
Australia finished second in the 2023-25 World Test Championship. They earned 67.54% of the points available and did not lose any series during this time. They won four out of six series. Only South Africa had a better record with 69.44% of the points.
Lyon, who is from New South Wales, has taken 56 wickets against South Africa in 18 matches. He expects a tough game against the South African team led by Temba Bavuma.
He said, “Yes, we have played here before, but South Africa was the first team to qualify for this World Test Championship final. They have played well over the last two years to finish on top. They deserve the home advantage. It is international cricket, and we know it will be very challenging. There will be many problems on the field, but we must solve them quickly.”
Australia has a strong bowling team for this match. Five of their bowlers are ranked in the top 14 of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling rankings. Nathan Lyon is ranked fifth, captain Pat Cummins is third, Josh Hazlewood is fourth, Mitchell Starc is eleventh, and Scott Boland is fourteenth.
Cummins (73 wickets), Starc (72 wickets), and Lyon (66 wickets) are also among the top wicket-takers in this World Test Championship (WTC), with only India’s Jasprit Bumrah ahead of them, having 77 wickets.
Having many skilled and experienced bowlers in the team helps improve training, said Lyon.
“Our bowling team is proud of where we are now,” he said. “But we are still working hard to get better. That pushes all of us to improve.”
Australia last played Test cricket in England during the 2023 Ashes series, which was the start of the 2023-25 WTC cycle. Many players have since returned to England to play more cricket.
Lyon played for Lancashire in 2024, and players like Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, and Beau Webster have played for teams like Glamorgan, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire this season.
Cameron Green has done very well in England. He scored 467 runs in five County Championship matches at an average of 66.71. He also made three centuries, including important scores of 128 and 67 not out against Kent. Lyon believes Green is learning a lot during his time in England.
“It’s great to have Green here,” Lyon said. “He has played four or five games for Gloucestershire and done really well. This will give him confidence to keep performing well. It is important for younger players like Green to play county cricket here. You learn a lot about how the game is played in England, how the Dukes ball behaves, and how the weather affects the game.”
