Adelaide [Australia], December 21 (ANI): Australian spin veteran Nathan Lyon suffered a hamstring injury on the final day of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, leaving him unable to bowl for the remainder of the match and putting his participation in the final two Tests in doubt.
While fielding, the 38-year-old dived to save a ball at the fine leg region but got up gingerly and signalled to the changing room after grabbing his right hamstring. He hobbled his way back to the dressing room after a brief conversation with Marnus Labuschagne, who gave him a pat on his back. Soon, Lyon was seen leaving the venue before lunch to undergo scans, as per ESPNCricinfo.
A spokesperson from Cricket Australia confirmed he was ruled out from the remainder of the Test.
Lyon’s injury is a massive blow to Australia. During the run-chase of 435 runs for England, Lyon had taken three crucial wickets in the second innings and a total of five throughout the game to help his side gain an upper hand. He partnered with skipper Pat Cummins to trigger a collapse from 177/3 to 194/6 as England chased 435 in a do-or-die Test.
If Lyon misses out on the fourth Test at Melbourne, a Boxing Day Test, two big candidates could fill in his shoes. The 29-year-old left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, currently at number two in Australia’s spin bowling pecking order, who toured the West Indies with the team earlier this year, could be a massive contender.
He has so far played the second fiddle to Lyon in spin-friendly conditions overseas, representing the Aussies in five Tests, taking 25 wickets at an average of 22.20.
But left-arm orthodox spin has not been as successful in Australia over recent years, and he has played only two Sheffield Shield games for Tasmania this year due to white-ball commitments and injuries, taking four wickets at an average of 36.
Victorian offspinner Todd Murphy, who has featured in seven Tests for Australia, including two during the 2023 Ashes in the UK as a replacement for Lyon, who suffered an injury during that series as well, has fared better in the Sheffield Shield this season so far and played as a specialist spinner for Australia’s A side against England Lions in Brisbane, taking three wickets. In seven Tests, Murphy has taken 22 wickets at an average of 28.13.
In Shield Cricket this season, he has taken 10 wickets at an average of 23.70 in four matches. Murphy could be a lethal weapon at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where the Boxing Day Tests are held.
Also, another offspinner, Corey Rocchiccioli from Western Australia, has been a top-class spinner in Shield Cricket with his extra height and bounce. This season, he has 20 scalps in six matches at an average of 28.20, after having taken 38 scalps last season and averaging 27.71. (ANI)
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