Victory sweet but ‘doubt I’ll be playing in Melbourne’

Nathan Lyon’s potentially series-ending hamstring injury has posed a question that hasn’t needed to be asked in 15 home summers: who is Australia’s next Test spinner?

A veteran of 141 Tests, Lyon played 100 consecutive matches between 2013 and 2023, occasionally paired with other slow bowlers in Sydney (Steve O’Keefe – 2016 and 2017, Ashton Agar – 2023) and on the subcontinent but always the first-choice tweaker at home.

The day five injury was a cruel blow for Lyon and his second Ashes injury in 18 months after a torn calf ended his 2023 campaign after only two Tests.

Although he was rushed off to get scans on his right leg immediately after pulling up lame from his diving stop, Lyon returned to be present for the team’s victory song. Huddled together in the middle of the Adelaide Oval, Lyon threw his crutches on the ground and sang arm-in-arm with his teammates.

As Lyon hobbled through the Melbourne airport terminal on crutches on Monday he was met by a throng of waiting cameras eager to get a shot of the downtrodden spinner, marking another sour end to a big series for the veteran.

Lyon has said on multiple occasions that he wants to be on Australia’s tours to India and England in 2027, by which time he will be 40 years old.

One of Lyon’s long-time teammates, Mitch Starc, is hopeful his good friend has the drive to rehabilitate and return. Starc and Lyon have played 96 Tests together, dating all the way back to Starc’s debut in 2011.

“It’s a tough one to take,” Starc said of Lyon’s latest injury.

Lyon leaves field with hamstring injury after diving save

“He’s obviously had a layoff with his calf through England. He’s more on board with the fast bowlers in terms of what rehab takes.

“I think he’s still got that hunger to give more to Australia, so that’s all for him to think through. Hopefully it’s not a huge layoff.”

While Lyon has been ever-present in Australia’s set up for the past 14 years, the previous few seasons have seen several new spinners tested at the highest level.

Who will get the nod for Boxing Day?

Todd Murphy, 25, Victoria

Sheffield Shield 2025-26 | M: 4 | W: 10 | Ave: 23.70 | SR: 55.8

First-class career | M: 44 | W: 119 | Ave: 34.87 | SR: 69.4

Test career | M: 7 | W: 22 | Ave: 28.13 | SR: 52.5

Murphy was picked for his Test debut as a 22-year-old during Australia’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to India in 2023. He took a stunning 7-124 on debut and claimed the wicket of Virat Kohli four times throughout the series. He was called in as Lyon’s injury replacement in the 2023 Ashes and returned to the Test team against Sri Lanka in January this year, taking one wicket in Australia’s innings victory.

Murphy was part of the Australia A side that played two matches against India A in Lucknow in September, going wicketless on batter-friendly pitch in the first and taking five wickets in the second.

His form in the Shield has been very strong too, with his 3-17 against New South Wales proving crucial in Victoria’s win back in October.

Spin twins Murphy, Kuhnemann reflect on first Test triumph

Corey Rocchiccioli, 28, Western Australia

Sheffield Shield 2025-26 | M: 6 | W: 20 | Ave: 28.20 | SR: 53.3

First-class career | M: 48 | W: 161 | Ave: 30.68 | SR: 58.3

Test career | N/A

The tallest of all the candidates, Rocchiccioli is a skilful bowler who uses bounce as a major weapon. No bowler has taken more wickets (58) in the Shield since the start of the 2024-25 season than Rocchiccioli, who even took a hat-trick against Victoria last summer.

His excellent domestic form has seen him rewarded with stints for Australia A, including against India A and England Lions last summer and the trip to India in September. He took six wickets across the two games in Lucknow, including three on a real featherbed in the opening match.

His 5-47 (in the third innings) and 24no (in the fourth innings) were instrumental in WA defeating Queensland by one wicket in November.

Rocchiccioli gets Bulls in a spin with Shield five

Matthew Kuhnemann, 29, Tasmania

Sheffield Shield 2025-26 | M: 2 | W: 4 | Ave: 36.00 | SR: 83.5

First-class career | M: 33 | W: 107 | Ave: 29.95 | SR: 62.9

Test career | M: 5 | W: 25 | Ave: 22.20 | SR: 41.0

Kuhnemann was another who made his Test debut during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and he made an instant impact with figures of 5-16 in his second match.

Seeking more red-ball opportunities, the left-armer moved from Queensland to Tasmania ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Playing alongside Nathan Lyon, Kuhnemann starred on Australia’s two-Test tour to Sri Lanka in January and February, taking 16 wickets in the two matches in Galle.

Following his success in Galle his was cited for a potential illegal bowling action, but after undergoing an independent test he was cleared.

He was part of the Aussie touring party for the WTC Final and West Indies tours over winter, but wasn’t called upon in either.

Kuhnemann has also recently become Australia’s Adam Zampa backup in the white-ball sides, playing ODIs and T20Is against South Africa and India.

Kuhnemann’s five leads Aussie spin rampage

Mitch Swepson, 32, Queensland

Sheffield Shield 2025-26 | M: 6 | W: 21 | Ave: 36.04 | SR: 68.0

First-class career | M: 94 | W: 279 | Ave: 36.90 | SR: 65.7

Test career | M: 4 | W: 10 | Ave: 45.80 | SR: 89.2

The 32-year-old Swepson has the most spin wickets in this year’s Shield campaign which included a player-of-the-match performance for his 10-wicket haul in Queensland’s win over South Australia in Adelaide in October.

Swepson played four Tests in 2022 on Australia’s tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka where he bowled in tandem with Lyon. More recently Swepson has fallen away from the national conversation as Australia have preferred the greater control of finger spinners for their tours to Asia.

Swepson six puts Bulls in box seat

Cooper Connolly, 22, Western Australia

Sheffield Shield 2025-26 | M: 3 | W: 3 | Ave: 29.67 | SR: 49.0

First-class career | M: 12 | W: 5 | Ave: 66.40 | SR: 93.0

Test career | M: 1 | W: 0

The joker in the pack of this group, Connolly is one of Australia’s most talented next-gen players.

Despite being only 22 years old, Connolly has already played all three formats for Australia, which included a Test debut in Sri Lanka in February.

Connolly’s batting is his primary skill and he has shown immense class with the bat during innings both for Australia and for Perth Scorchers in the KFC BBL.

The sample size of his bowling in red-ball cricket is minimal across all formats and all age groups. The five-wicket haul he took during the third ODI against South Africa in August was his first five-for at any level.

While the likelihood of him being selected is low, the Australian camp like having the young gun around the group and have already shown a willingness to get him involved where possible.

Connolly on target in maiden five-wicket haul for Australia

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (third Test only): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue