"Sent Andrew McDonald a text message when I saw Ashton Agar was ruled out" - Nathan Lyon confirms that he is ready to play in 2023 World Cup

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon confirmed his readiness to feature in the 2023 World Cup should the need arise, with the side boasting the lone specialist spinner in Adam Zampa. The five-time world champions were hit by a calf injury to their second spinner, Ashton Agar, ruling him out of the tournament.

Lyon, who missed the final three Ashes Tests due to a right calf injury, has recovered fully and will feature in New South Wales' upcoming Marsh Cup match against South Australia on October 20. The 35-year-old was in sensational form in the three innings before his injury, picking up nine wickets at an average of 29.33, including two four-wicket hauls.

Speaking to Fox Cricket on the eve of Australia's World Cup opener against India, Nathan Lyon mentioned his communication with head coach Andrew McDonald on his availability to play in the tournament.

"I sent Andrew McDonald a text message the other day when I saw Ashton Agar was ruled out. I said, ‘Just to let you know, I’m back bowling 10 overs, I’m right to go. 100 per cent. If that happened, I’d do anything to go over and play the World Cup. The squad they’ve got there looks pretty exciting and I’m pretty excited about tonight, to be honest," Lyon said.

The champion off-spinner last played in ODIs during the 2019 World Cup, picking up four wickets in three games.

"I’d be more than comfortable going in there and doing it if I had to. But in saying that, there has to be a lot of things go wrong, so let’s hope for Australia’s sake that doesn’t happen. Hopefully, they go out there and have a really good campaign," he added.

Overall, Lyon has played 29 ODIs for Australia, picking up as many wickets at an average of 46 and an economy rate of 4.92 runs per over.

Australia will kickstart their 2023 World Cup campaign with a mouth-watering clash against hosts India in Chennai on October 8.

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"I’ve always wanted to win in India, win in England" - Nathan Lyon

Nathan Lyon is on the cusp of joining the illustrious 500-wicket club in Tests.

Nathan Lyon maintained that his ultimate goal in Test cricket is to win a series in India and England. The 35-year-old has been outstanding with the ball in both countries, with a combined 115 wickets in 27 matches.

However, Australia has fallen short of series wins in the last two tours. They recently lost the Border Gavaskar Trophy in India 1-2 and have drawn the last two Ashes series in England by a 2-2 scoreline.

"I’ve always wanted to win in India, win in England," Lyon continued. "Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do that (this year), so it’s made me reset and reassess where I’m at and where I want to get to as well. If an injury came at a right time, it’s probably the right timing."

"It would have been nice if it was at the end of the series, not at the start of it. It’s allowed me to reset some goals and look pretty brightly about the future," he added.

Australia led 2-0 in the recent Ashes series in England until Nathan Lyon's injury derailed them to settle for a 2-2 draw.

The second Test at Lord's was his 100th consecutive Test, making him only the sixth cricketer and the first bowler to achieve the feat. Lyon sits eighth among the all-time leading wicket-takers in Test, with 496 scalps in 122 games.

The off-spinner was the leading wicket-taker in the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, with 88 scalps to help Australia win the elusive title.