Ashes 2023: Australia sweat on Lyon’s harm as off-spinner faces prolonged time on sidelines

London, June 30 – Australia have been handled a significant harm scare on Thursday when premier off-spinner Nathan Lyon limped off the sphere whereas fielding throughout day two of the second Ashes Check in opposition to England at Lord’s.

Lyon, who’s taking part in in his one hundredth consecutive Check, was working in to take a catch of Ben Duckett off the bowling of Cameron Inexperienced within the leg-side after tea, when he pulled up sharply whereas working in the direction of the ball.

The harm appeared so critical that Lyon needed to go off the sphere by taking the assist of a member of the Australian staff medical workers and shook off in ache whereas clutching the calf area of his proper leg.

A press release from Cricket Australia confirmed Lyon has suffered a proper calf harm and can be additional assessed after the shut of day’s two play. “An additional replace, if obtainable, can be shared within the morning,” it additional mentioned.

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“This doesn’t look good. This could possibly be a giant second within the Check match, within the sequence … he’s pivotal on this assault,” former England captain Nasser Hussain mentioned on Sky Sports activities commentary.

Lyon had accomplished 13 overs of his off-spin bowling, taking the wicket of Zak Crawley whereas sustaining an economic system fee of two.69. Because the Australia camp holds its breath on Lyon’s harm and his participation in the remainder of the match in addition to the sequence, it has drawn speedy comparisons to Glenn McGrath’s ankle harm in the course of the 2005 Ashes.

McGrath had stepped on a ball in the course of the pre-match warm-up at Edgbaston, leading to a series-ending ankle harm, which proved a turning level within the sequence.

“If you happen to take a look at the groups facet by facet he’s the main distinction. He offers Australia stability and is a risk it doesn’t matter what the circumstances. It could be a large loss for Australia. Let’s see however you’d have thought he would play little half in the remainder of this Check match at the least,” mentioned former England captain Andrew Strauss.

His former team-mate Kevin Pietersen additionally echoed the identical views. “You might see from the best way he walked across the boundary that he had all the burden on the correct facet of his foot. I believe he has popped a calf and in the event you pop a calf you aren’t getting back from that for some time.”

In the meantime, England opener Ben Duckett, who made 98, feels Lyon can be an enormous miss for Australia as the sport progresses.

“I believe we can be completely satisfied to chase on this pitch. You by no means want to see somebody go down but when (Lyon) can’t bowl within the second innings it’s going to be a large miss for them,” mentioned Duckett.

The continued Lord’s Check noticed Lyon develop into the primary specialist bowler to carry up a century of consecutive appearances within the longest format of the sport.

Lyon, who made his Check debut in July 2011, has additionally develop into solely the sixth participant within the historical past of cricket to characteristic in 100 consecutive Checks. Different gamers within the checklist are Alastair Cook dinner (159), Allan Border (153), Mark Waugh (107), Sunil Gavaskar (106) and Brendon McCullum (101).

Coincidentally, Lyon has achieved this uncommon landmark at Lord’s, the identical venue the place he was dropped within the format for the final time. This was virtually a decade in the past throughout Australia’s tour of England for the 2013 Ashes sequence.