'Lyon will be crucial for us'

Indicating that it’s going to be tough for India to survive on a fifth-day surface here, David Warner said Nathan Lyon, who grabbed five wickets to hasten visitors’ end in the first innings, will be key to their fortunes.  

“It’s hard to score when the ball gets older,” said Warner talking about the state of the pitch. “There’s a nice rough area out there for Nathan to bowl at. We saw that in the first innings. He was hitting it virtually every delivery. That’s going to be the key for us tomorrow. We’re going to try to take early wickets with that new ball and once it gets older we’ll try to use the conditions to get the ball going reverse,” he offered.
Warner further heaped praise on Lyon. “We’ve seen how much he has evolved in the last 12 to 18 months. He has worked hard at his game and has now got a five-wicket haul. There’s no reason why he can’t come out tomorrow with his tail up and help us take these 10 wickets.”

Warner, who followed up his first innings score 145 with 102 in the second, was evidently elated with his performance. “I haven't done it before, so I think so,” he said when asked if he thought he was in the form of his life. “You got to keep riding this roller coaster and keep doing the job for the team, and that's scoring runs at the top. Sometimes there is an advantage - at the top of the order you get to try and bat as long as you can and as big as you can.

“For me it's about when I'm making those hundreds, I've got to make big hundreds and turn them into double hundreds. That's my next goal. When I'm in, I've got to go big. Like Michael Clarke did against India last time - double hundred after double hundred. They're the achievements you want and they're the ones that get recognised a lot,” he remarked.

India’s Ajinkya Rahane felt patience was going to be the key for them on the final day. “All the batsmen have good skills but it's going to be a test of our mind-set. If we apply ourselves really well I am sure everyone will do well.”