Bubble life ‘a very small sacrifice’: Lyon

Nathan Lyon, Australia's most experienced contemporary Test cricketer, believes players need to recognise the sacrifices made by many during the global pandemic and – when it comes to quarantine restrictions and bio-secure bubbles – simply 'suck it up' and quit complaining.

Lyon is among the Australia squad, now minus fast bowler James Pattinson who injured his ribs in a fall at home last weekend, travelling from Melbourne to Sydney today to continue preparations for the third Vodafone Series Test against India starting at the SCG on Thursday.

In recent days, reports have emerged suggesting members of the India squad are concerned at the prospect of being subjected to strict quarantine conditions imposed by the Queensland Government during the fourth Test of the series in Brisbane later this month.

It followed news that five India players had been isolated from their squad mates and the Australia team after footage emerged of them purportedly eating indoors at a Melbourne restaurant last Friday, and claims players who have been subject to protocols for six months or more were suffering 'bubble fatigue'.

While Lyon dismissed claims the alleged breach involving India players was frustrating, noting that "people make mistakes", he also claimed the regulations under which matches are being played are for the greater good and need to be seen in that broader context.

"I know there's a few people from both squads who have been in a bubble for close to six months now, but in my eyes it's a very small sacrifice for us to get out there and play the game that we love and put a lot of smiles on a lot of people's faces around the world," Lyon said today.

"It (bio-secure 'bubble' life) has all been okay in my eyes.

"We just need to suck it up and get on with it.

"People make mistakes, we get that.

"But it's just making sure we go out there and worry about what's happening and try and prepare the best way we can for a Test match, and not look too much into anything else that the media's blowing up.

"We've got to listen to the advice of our medical people, here at Cricket Australia we're lucky we've got an amazing medical team but let's just suck it up and get on with it and stop complaining."

Since serving their two weeks of quarantine upon returning to Australia from the IPL in the UAE in November, teams have been granted some freedoms during the tour, including being able to eat outdoors at venues and leave their hotels for exercise.

However, that is likely to change over the coming fortnight with the current border closures meaning members of the public cannot enter Queensland from Sydney without serving another two weeks in quarantine.

While harder restrictions will be in place in Sydney, Cricket Australia boss Nick Hockley said last week Brisbane's Test would be played under "quarantine conditions".

It means teams will predominantly only be able to leave their hotels to train and play, as part of an exemption for them to cross the closed border from greater Sydney into Queensland.

Lyon, who is poised to play his 100th Test and claim his 400th Test wicket before the end of the four-match Vodafone Series, is also preparing for the final match of the campaign at the Gabba in Brisbane despite rumblings about a late change to the schedule.

Suggestions that India players and officials are reluctant to enter hard quarantine as per Queensland's requirements and would therefore prefer to see the fourth Test staged elsewhere has seen back-to-back Tests at the SCG touted as a possibility.

But Lyon echoed the earlier views of teammate Matthew Wade that Australia have heard nothing to suggest the fourth Test will be moved, and are planning to finish the series at the Gabba where they have remained undefeated in Test cricket since 1988.

"I'm not even thinking about not playing at the Gabba," Lyon said today.

"Everyone keeps talking about the Gabba Test match but there's a massive Test match in a couple of days at the SCG and that's where all our focus is at the moment.

"To be honest, I'm not really worried about what's being reported.

"We've heard nothing as players, so we travel up to Sydney today and hopefully get the result we're after and then straight on a plane up to Brissie and we'll play up there.

"We all know how much we love playing cricket at the Gabba and we know our record there as well, so all plans are to go to the Gabba."

The recent COVID19 outbreak in New South Wales has meant Lyon's plans to have his family at the Gabba where (fitness willing) he will become the 13th Australia men's player to reach 100 Tests have been thrown into doubt.

However, the 33-year-old off-spinner said today the tightened quarantine restrictions on approved visitors entering Queensland from New South Wales were likely only to impact his brother and close confidant, Brendan.

"I'm very fortunate," Lyon said.

"It's only really my brother in a hotspot and he's said he can't get up there (Brisbane), which is disappointing but he'll no doubt be at the Sydney Test match.

"For my parents and my partner, 100 per cent they'll be there.

"I'm pretty confident of that."

With Lyon's career average of four wickets per Test at his home ground in Sydney, it's feasible he will claim his 400th wicket in the same match as he records his 100th Test appearance.

The most recent Australia men's player to reach the 100-Test milestone was ex-captain Michael Clarke in the match where Australia reclaimed the Ashes at the WACA Ground in Perth in 2013-14.

And Lyon is hoping to similarly mark his milestone by completing a series win, with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign currently locked at one-all after matches in Adelaide and Melbourne.

"If I can play my role and make sure we can win this series against a pretty amazing Indian cricket side, those milestones will be nice to look at come the end of my career," he said.

'It's pretty amazing that I've got a couple of them just around the corner.

"But for me it's more about coming out and playing my role, and hopefully we can sing the (team victory) song twice and that will top off my milestones."

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: India won by eight wickets

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT