Nathan Lyon Archives

Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon ruled out of remainder of Ashes

Australia skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon were on Tuesday ruled out of the final two Ashes Tests against England, with the veteran spinner facing surgery and an extended period on the sidelines.

Quick bowler Jhye Richardson and spinner Todd Murphy were named as cover in a 15-man squad for the fourth Test starting on Friday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Australia have already retained the famous urn with eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane and an 82-run victory in Adelaide.

Cummins “won’t play any part in the rest of the series”, coach Andrew McDonald told cricket.com.au.

He returned from a lower back injury to lead Australia to victory in Adelaide in his first Test since July, taking six wickets in the match.

“That was a discussion that we had a long time ago about his return. Yeah, we were taking on some risk. We’ve now won the series, and that was the goal,” said McDonald.

Cummins will now target full fitness for the month-long Twenty20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, starting in early February.

“To position him for further risk and jeopardise him long term is not something that we want to do,” said McDonald.

“Pat’s really comfortable with that. If he had any setback in the build-in as well, we would have shut him down straight away.”

Steve Smith, who captained the team in Cummins’ absence during the first two Tests, will lead the side again in Melbourne after missing Adelaide with vertigo symptoms.

Usman Khawaja replaced Smith at number four in the Adelaide Test, scoring 82 and 40.

Lyon, 38, damaged his right hamstring saving a boundary on day five in Adelaide, fielding and hobbled off.

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He claimed his 564th wicket in the match to move clear of fellow Australian great Glenn McGrath and into sixth on the all-time Test bowling list.

“Nathan Lyon will have surgery on a torn right hamstring, which will sideline him for an extended period,” Cricket Australia said.

Lyon’s replacement, Murphy, is in line to play his first home Test. His seven previous appearances for Australia all came overseas. His last was in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Richardson was included after a four-year Test absence, during which he underwent three shoulder surgeries.

Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc are likely to lead the seam attack after recovering well from Adelaide, with Michael Neser, Brendan Doggett and Richardson battling to join them.

McDonald paid tribute to 35-year-old Starc, who has sent down close to 100 overs in the series so far and remains in good shape.

“Starc’s amazing. He’s pulled up fine,” McDonald said of the leading bowler in the series.

Starc has taken 22 wickets in the three Ashes Tests so far at an average of 17.04, including a career best innings return of 7-58 in Perth.

He has also contributed 150 valuable runs with the bat down the order.

“He keeps running in and presenting the pace that he does,” said McDonald. “There’s a lot to be learned around preparing yourself and targeting the right matches at the right time.”

Australia squad: Steve Smith (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

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WATCH: McGrath’s reaction as Lyon surpasses him goes viral

ADELAIDE: Australia’s legendary pacer Glenn McGrath reaction went viral after ace off-spinner Nathan Lyon surpassed his Test wicket tally during the third Ashes Test against England here on Thursday.

Lyon claimed his 564th Test wicket, moving past McGrath and sitting behind only Shane Warne among Australian bowlers.

The landmark came in memorable fashion as the 38-year-old struck twice in his very first over after returning to the Test side, removing Ollie Pope before clean-bowling Ben Duckett to reach the milestone.

The achievement came on day two of Lyon’s 141st Test and underlined his enduring value to Australia’s red-ball setup.

After Lyon surpassed his record, McGrath mimicked slamming his chair on the floor.

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Nonetheless, McGrath praised Lyon and shared his thoughts on the achievement.

“What a bowler. Nathan Lyon deserves to get that.”

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“You wondered what impact Nathan Lyon was going to have in this game. First over, and that was a gem of a ball,” he added.

Speaking after the day’s play, Lyon talked about his ideals and expressed pride in the achievement.

“I grew up idolising Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and these guys in my childhood were my heroes,” he said.

“And to think of being able to overtake Glenn … it’s pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it’s something that I’ll look back on at the end of my career, or even tonight,” Nathan Lyon added.

The 38-year-old thanked teammates for standing by his side, noting that he would take time to reflect on what he described as an ‘extremely special’ moment in his long career.

“I’ll sit back and try and have a moment because it is an extremely special moment for myself. “But I haven’t been able to do that without the guys at the other end, my teammates.”

“I’ve been around this group long enough to understand my role inside, and it’s an amazing group to be a part of,” he explained.

“I’ll continue to enjoy that while I can, it’s a pretty special group, and just extremely grateful for that opportunity, I guess. “Same emotions as usual, nervous, but that’s me,” the veteran spinner concluded.

READ: Lyon ‘humbled’ after moving past childhood hero McGrath

Lyon ‘humbled’ after moving past childhood hero McGrath

ADELAIDE: Australia’s ace spinner Nathan Lyon opened up after surpassing his childhood hero Glenn McGrath during the third Ashes Test against England here on Thursday.

Lyon claimed his 564th Test wicket, moving past McGrath and sitting behind only Shane Warne among Australian bowlers.

The achievement came on day two of Lyon’s 141st Test and underlined his enduring value to Australia’s red-ball setup.

Speaking after the day’s play, Lyon talked about his ideals and expressed pride in the achievement.

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“I grew up idolising Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and these guys in my childhood were my heroes,” he said.

The 38-year-old thanked teammates for standing by his side, noting that he would take time to reflect on what he described as an ‘extremely special’ moment in his long career.

“I’ll sit back and try and have a moment because it is an extremely special moment for myself. “But I haven’t been able to do that without the guys at the other end, my teammates.”

“I’ve been around this group long enough to understand my role inside, and it’s an amazing group to be a part of,” he explained.

READ: Pakistan squad for ICC U19 World Cup announced

Nathan Lyon overtakes Glenn McGrath’s record in third Ashes Test

ADELAIDE: Australia’s veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon etched his name deeper into cricketing history during the third Ashes Test against England, overtaking Glenn McGrath to become the country’s second-highest wicket-taker in the format.

Lyon claimed his 564th Test wicket on Thursday, moving past McGrath and sitting behind only Shane Warne among Australian bowlers.

The achievement came on day two of Lyon’s 141st Test and underlined his enduring value to Australia’s red-ball setup.

Renowned for his classical off-spin and ability to extract bounce and drift, Lyon has now climbed to sixth place on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers.

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Ahead of him on the overall charts are England’s Stuart Broad (604) and India great Anil Kumble (619), with Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan leading the list with 800 wickets.

Shane Warne (708) and James Anderson (704) complete the top three.

Lyon, affectionately known as “Garry”, has previously said he feels he is in some of the best form of his career and has no immediate plans to step away from the game.

His longevity has been aided by a singular focus on Test cricket, having not played international white-ball cricket since 2019.

The off-spinner has also spoken openly about his desire to continue until at least the 2027 Ashes in England, with Australia set to enter a heavy Test schedule from August next year onwards.

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Australia make two changes to Playing XI for third Ashes Test

Fit-again opener Usman Khawaja was left out of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide starting Wednesday as skipper Pat Cummins and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon were named in Australia’s Playing XI.

Khawaja, who turns 39 this month, had back spasms and failed to open in the first Test victory against England in Perth, then was ruled out injured for the second in Brisbane.

He has since recovered, but selectors opted to stick with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald at the top of the order, leaving the 85-Test veteran’s international future in grave doubt.

Asked if there was a way back for Khawaja, who has been on a lean run of form, Cummins replied: “Yeah, potentially.

“I think the selectors have been quite adamant we’re picking a side each week that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s got to be exactly the same team as the previous week.

“We do that with the bowlers, this week obviously Nathan Lyon’s coming back in, he missed last week.

“One of Uzzie’s (Khawaja) great strengths is [that] he has scored runs at the top, he scored runs in the middle,” he added.

“If we didn’t think he’d be good enough to come straight in, then he wouldn’t be here in the squad. So absolutely, I can see a path back at some point if needed.”

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As expected, Pat Cummins returns after missing the first two Tests with a back injury and will lead the attack alongside the outstanding Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland.

Veteran spin king Nathan Lyon is also back after being axed in preference for an all-pace attack at the Gabba, with Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser making way.

Cummins said he was firing on all cylinders and raring to go.

“If I played in Brisbane, I would have probably been in limited overs, but this week it’s just go and play like any other Test match,” he said.

“It’s been fantastic to watch,” he added of the series. “I think it’s lived up to the hype, captivating every session.

“I’ve loved it and itching to get out there. The boys have been fantastic, Steve (Smith) has led brilliantly, and I feel like I’m coming into a pretty settled and happy side.

“Couldn’t have gone any better from our point of view.”

Australia Playing XI for third Ashes Test

Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

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Nathan Lyon breaks silence on omission from West Indies Test

Australia off-spinner Nathan Lyon has recently spoken about his exclusion from the Playing XI for the third and final Test against the West Indies, which took place earlier this month.

Lyon was left out of Australia’s Test XI for the first time in over a decade, due to factors other than injury, as he missed the pink-ball Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park.

The decision ended a remarkable run for Lyon, who had been a fixture in Australia’s Test side since 2013. With conditions expected to overwhelmingly favour pace, selectors opted for an all-seam attack, leaving no room for spin.

Speaking publicly for the first time since that match, Lyon admitted the decision stung, especially because it meant missing a special milestone alongside a close mate.

“There’s no point hiding behind it. I was disappointed with the decision, but I totally understood it,” Lyon said in Melbourne on Tuesday.

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“I believe I can play a role in any conditions, and I still honestly believe that. And then honestly, the other one was not to walk out on the field with Starcy [Mitchell Starc] in his 100th Test.”

Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc have shared the field in nearly 90 Tests, and the 37-year-old was hoping to mark the milestone together.

Despite the personal disappointment, Lyon acknowledged the bold call had paid off.

“If I’m going to miss a game, Scott Boland’s probably the guy you want to see go out and perform,” he said.

“For him to go out there and bowl like he did, like we always know he does, to take a hat-trick, was pretty special. And to witness the guys bowl them out for 27, that was pretty amazing.”

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Nathan Lyon spins Australia to victory over New Zealand in first Test

WELLINGTON: Nathan Lyon spun Australia to a 172-run win over New Zealand in the first Test, taking six wickets as the hosts collapsed to 196 all out here on Sunday.

The home side crumbled on the fourth morning in Wellington, losing their last seven wickets for 70 runs, with four of them falling to off-spinner Lyon.

He finished with innings figures of 6-65 off 27 overs, giving him 10-108 for the match.

The 36-year-old capitalised on spin-friendly Basin Reserve conditions and some meek batting from New Zealand, who began the day on 111-3 with 258 more runs required to secure an unlikely victory.

The capitulation began in the seventh over of the day when Lyon claimed the key wicket of Rachin Ravindra for 59.

Ravindra had only added three to his overnight score when he failed to keep a cut shot down and was caught by Cameron Green at point.

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Tom Blundell was caught in close by Travis Head without scoring in the same over and Glenn Phillips was trapped leg before by Lyon for one soon afterwards, to expose the tail.

Scott Kuggeleijn struck 26 off 28 balls before he failed to control a short ball from Green to be caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey and Matt Henry fell for 14, caught at slip by Steve Smith off Josh Hazlewood.

Tim Southee became Lyon’s sixth victim before Daryl Mitchell was the last wicket to fall, for 38, caught and bowled by Hazlewood.

Green was named man of the match for his career-high unbeaten 174 in the first innings.

No one else made three figures in a challenging Test for batsmen as Green rescued Australia from 89-4, having been put into bat, to reach 383 and set up a 204-run first-innings lead.

The second and final Test between Australia and New Zealand will start in Christchurch on Friday.

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Mohammad Hafeez backs Sarfaraz Ahmed after dismal performance in Perth Test

PERTH: Pakistan’s team director Mohammad Hafeez backed wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed amid criticism following the latter’s dismal performance in the first Test against Australia.

Sarfaraz Ahmed had a forgettable outing in Perth as he scored a total of seven runs in two innings.

However, Hafeez defended the wicketkeeper saying that he was excellent in the last series and has served Pakistan with great performances in past.

“Sarfaraz has given a lot of performances for Pakistan. In the New Zealand series in Pakistan, he was excellent. Unfortunately, this match didn’t go well for Sarfaraz according to our expectations,” Hafeez said in the post-match press conference.

“However, we can’t start thinking something totally different after one match. Sarfaraz isn’t new – he has toured Australia, South Africa, and England before.”

Hafeez stressed the fact that the management cannot drop a player over the performance of just one match.

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“Yes, he didn’t perform up to expectations as a batsman and keeper. But this doesn’t mean that we should start doubting someone’s skill and saying they can only play in certain conditions,” he concluded.

Notably, Australia are currently leading the Test series 1-0 after thumping Pakistan by a huge margin of 360 runs in the first Test match at Perth Stadium.

Australian bowlers bowled the Pakistan team for a meagre 89 runs in the second innings after setting a mammoth target of 450 runs to register a dominant victory.

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was adjudged man-of-the-match for his brilliant performance in both innings with scores of 90 and 63* as well as one wicket in the first innings.

Pakistan and Australia will square off in the second Test match of the three-match Test series at Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is scheduled to start on December 26.

Pakistan Test squad

Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafiq, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Nauman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sajid Khan

READ: Nathan Lyon becomes the eighth bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket

Nathan Lyon becomes eighth bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket

PERTH: Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has become the eighth bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket during the second innings of the first Test against Pakistan at Perth Stadium.

Lyon claimed his 500th wicket by dismissing Faheem Ashraf with the help of DRS after the on-field umpire turned down the LBW appeal.

He picked another wicket in the same over to help his side bundle Pakistan for a meagre 89 runs and register a huge 360-run victory in the first Test of the three-match series.

“It’s something I’m very proud about, I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” said Nathan Lyon after the match.

“There’s obviously been a lot of hard work gone into the journey and I’ve had a lot more bad days than good days, but to be back out there in the middle … it’s pretty special.

“I still pinch myself when I see my name next to those guys,” he said of the exalted company he has joined, including fellow spin kings Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.

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Nathan Lyon became the third bowler from Australia to achieve the landmark of 500 Test wickets after spin legend Shane Warne (708) and pace bowler Glenn McGrath (563).

However, he is the slowest among his countrymen as he took 123 Test matches, while Warne took 108 and McGrath took 110.

Nathan Lyon is also the fourth spinner across the globe to join the elite 500-wicket club after legends Muthiah Muralidaran, Warne and Anil Kumble.

Notably, Muralidaran is the fastest to claim 500 wickets as he took only 87 Test matches to reach the milestone.

Nathan Lyon made his Test debut in 2011 against Sri Lanka and picked the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara with the first ball of his Test career.

Lyon has taken a total of 501 wickets in Test cricket at an average of 30.85 with 23 five-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket hauls.

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Nathan Lyon ruled out of Ashes remainder with ‘significant calf tear’

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday, confirmed that veteran spinner Nathan Lyon has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series due to a significant calf tear.

The confirmation came when CA made tweaks to their squad for the ongoing away Ashes campaign, which they lead 2-0.

The tweaks meant that the reserve batter Matthew Renshaw has also been released from the squad but will remain in England and be available if the touring side suffers an injury scare.

Since the updated 16-player roster does not contain any substitutes for Lyon, fellow off-spinner Todd Murphy is set to enter the lineup after a strong maiden Test series in India earlier this year.

“It’s not looking good at the moment, it’s a significant tear to the calf and it’ll be series ending,” Andrew McDonald said, with Todd Murphy expected to replace him for the third Test at Headingley on Thursday.

“We like to have a spinner in our attack, it’s a different balance, and as you saw (on Sunday) at certain times, we had to do it differently without Nathan Lyon down the other end, which we’ve been so used to.

“At times it looked a bit chaotic, so we do like to have that spin option in the attack.”

No replacements were added to Australia’s squad while Queensland wicketkeeper batter Jimmy Peirson will remain with the team as cover for Josh Inglis, who returned to Perth following the first Test for the birth of his first child.

Earlier on Friday, veteran off-spinner arrived at the Lord’s on crutches for the third day of the ongoing second Ashes Test.

Nathan Lyon, who limped off the field from the second session on Thursday after sustaining a calf injury while fielding, looked distraught as he got medical attention on the boundary while his teammate Steve Smith hinted the off-spinner could be out of action for “a while”.

The incident happened after Nathan Lyon was spotted hobbling out with the physio in the 37th over of England’s innings briefly after completing his spell. Lyon appeared to be in obvious distress as he chased a ball to the fence and was promptly taken off from the field.

Nathan Lyon required crutches to join his teammates at Lord’s on Friday morning, as he limped into the ground’s iconic pavilion. His right calf was also covered in a bandage, with Australia expected to give an update on his fitness shortly.

The off-spinner had incidentally become just the sixth player, and the first-ever bowler, to play 100 consecutive Tests in the same match on Wednesday.

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