Veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon‘s absence due to hamstring surgery has dealt a serious setback to Australia’s Ashes campaign, but the 38-year-old is still committed to fighting his way back. In addition to forcing Australia to alter their plans for the fourth Test, Nathan Lyon injury has sped up talks about spin department succession.
On the last day of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, Lyon was diving to rescue a boundary when he sustained a severe tear to his right hamstring. He will miss the rest of the series due to the injury; Australia has confirmed that he had surgery earlier this week. Lyon was described as “pretty shattered” by coach Andrew McDonald, who also emphasised that it was premature to speculate that his Test career was over.
“He is quite broken. He plays a major role in our work. He has a lengthy rehabilitation period ahead of him. It will be difficult for him to return to his previous level of performance with that kind of injury. But the most important thing is that he still wants to do it,” McDonald told cricket.com.au.
He will play a crucial role in India’s future: McDonald’s
According to medical schedules, he will be out of commission for a minimum of three to four months. McDonald stated that the off-spinner is still a crucial component of Australia’s long-term planning despite the lengthy path to rehabilitation, especially given the next rigorous Test schedule.
After missing the 2023 Ashes at Lord’s due to a calf problem, this is Nathan Lyon second significant injury in two years.
Notably, Australia won’t play another Test until hosting Bangladesh in the middle of 2026. After that, they’ll play a series against South Africa and New Zealand, a five-Test trip to India in early 2027, and the 150th anniversary Test match against England.
He will play a crucial role in India’s future. Before that, we have South Africa and New Zealand. So, finish this rehabilitation, and then we’ll look to the future,” he continued.
Todd Murphy was picked as the main spin option in Cricket Australia’s selection for the fourth Ashes Test in Melbourne. The 25-year-old defeated Mitchell Swepson, Corey Rocchiccioli, and Matthew Kuhnemann. After recovering from a shoulder injury sustained during the 2023 Ashes, Murphy is thought to be able to support Australia’s fast-paced attack.
Depending on the state of the pitch, selectors are still debating whether to use a specialist spinner at the MCG. Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were sidelined because of management and injury, respectively, but Jhye Richardson was added to the roster.
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