Nathan Lyon limped off the field with a hamstring injury in a devastating blow for the Aussie spinner on day five of the third Ashes Test. The veteran was fielding on the fine-leg boundary on Sunday, and clutched at the top of his right leg after diving for the ball and throwing it back in.
He hobbled around before calling for help from the Australian camp, and was then taken from the field for assessment. Cricket Australia later said Lyon had been taken for scans. It comes after he was dropped for the second Test in Brisbane, but returned with a bang in Adelaide.
Nathan Lyon (L) limped off injured on a dramatic final day of the third Ashes Test. Image: Getty
“This might be trouble. That’s a hamstring and it looks like a bad one,” Ricky Ponting said in commentary for Channel 7. “Just straight over the boundary rope and he is making his way around to the dugout.
“This could be tragic. He can’t even straighten out that right leg. He is hobbling around with the knee bent the whole time.”
Lyon was also injured in the last Ashes series in 2023 when he did his calf in the second Test and missed the rest of the series. Adam Gilchrist said on Fox Sports: “This is a sorry sight for Australia and more so Nathan Lyon. Perhaps a pivotal moment in what could happen today, he’s walking off the field.
“Your mind goes back to Lord’s where the calf went and you felt like that was a pivotal moment in that series. This is a bad image when he realised what happened.”
Jamie Smith made 60 on Sunday to get England within 150 of a shock victory. But he threw away his wicket as England went to lunch at 7-309 – requiring 126 with three wickets in hand for what would be a world record run chase to deny Australia clinching the series.
Nathan Lyon limped off the field on day five of the third Ashes Test. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Nathan Lyon captured in cheeky that changed Australia’s luck
Lyon had earlier taken a leaf out of Stuart Broad’s playbook on Saturday, making a superstitious move that seamed to change Australia’s luck. England were frustrating the Aussies on day four in Adelaide, and reached 3-177 in their chase of a world record target of 435.
Lyon wasn’t having much luck on a deteriorating Adelaide wicket, so he decided to try and change his fortunes. Fox Cricket cameras captured the moment Lyon switched the bails at the non-striker’s end at the completion of one of his overs.
Nathan Lyon switched the bails around (R) and managed to change his luck. Image: Getty/Fox Cricket
The veteran Aussie spinner picked up the bails and put them back in the opposite spot to what they were originally sitting. It’s become a common practice in cricket when a bowler is trying to change their luck – and it did the trick for Lyon.
The spinner picked up Harry Brook (30), Ben Stokes (5) and Zak Crawley (85) in quick succession after his bail trick. He bowled Brook after the England vice-captain attempted an outlandish reverse-sweep, and then smashed Stokes’ stumps with a superb ball that drifted and spun away from the skipper.
Lyon then got Crawley stumped after another brilliant piece of glove-work from keeper Alex Carey. Crawley was well-set and looked largely untroubled, but played inside a ball that didn’t spin as much and was drawn out of his crease.
Nathan Lyon picked up three quick wickets, including a stunning ball to dismiss Ben Stokes. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)
Stuart Broad did similar in 2023 Ashes series
Lyon’s trick with the bails was similar to what Broad did during the 2023 Ashes series in England. On that occasion Broad sparked some controversy because he did it mid-over between deliveries when he wasn’t even bowling.
Broad ran in from his position in the field to switch the bails where Marnus Labuschagne was batting, holding up play to do so. The delay in play seemed to mess with Labuschagne’s concentration, and he nicked the very next ball from Mark Wood to Joe Root at slip.
On Saturday, Adam Gilchrist said in commentary: “Nathan Lyon taking the Stuart Broad approach. We say him do that a couple times at The Oval in 2023.”
Nathan Lyon (L) repeated Stuart Broad’s (R) trick with the bails. Image: Fox Cricket
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English commentator Mark Butcher questioned at the time whether such an act was within the “spirit of the game” – which was such a big theme during the 2023 series in the UK. Broad later said: “Marnus is someone who would notice everything, so he took notice of it. It just worked out pretty magically that he nicked off next ball and Rooty took a great catch.”