Nathan Lyon says he has been left “pretty shattered” by the calf injury that looks likely to end his Ashes series, but says he would “do anything” for Australia after hobbling out to bat on one leg.
Lyon picked up the problem while fielding on the second evening of the Lord’s Test - which, ironically, is his 100th in a row - and has not bowled since, with his participation in the rest of the series set to be assessed at the end of the match.
The spinner did, however, emerge to bat at No11 on Saturday, adding a partnership of 15 with Mitchell Starc despite hardly being able to walk as Australia set England a target of 371 for victory.
“I’ve been pretty shattered, I’ve been in tears, I’ve been upset and been hurting,” Lyon said. “This team means everything to me. I’ll start this rehab journey now to get back, to keep playing this role. I love what I do.
“I knew the risks [of batting] but the way I look at it, I’d do anything for this team and you never know how big a 15-run partnership could be in an Ashes series. I’m proud of myself for going out and doing that, if it was tomorrow I’d do it again.”
It had been assumed that Lyon would only bat if absolutely necessary and with Australia already 355 runs ahead even Starc appeared to think the innings was over when Josh Hazlewood was the ninth man out. Television pictures, however, had shown Lyon padded up and hobbling awkwardly down the Pavilion steps into the Lord’s Long Room awaiting his turn to bat.
“I had to go down and wait down in the Long Room because otherwise I would have been timed out,” Lyon explained. “The lifts here are pretty slow so I had to go down the stairs, I didn’t know how long Josh was going to hang in there.
“It was interesting being in the Long Room. I felt like I was in the zoo, a lot of eyes on me, watching what we were doing and listening to what we were saying.”
Nathan Lyon is really struggling out there, Australia's only hope to add to their run tally is boundaries 🏏 pic.twitter.com/5aYFuO7yT0
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 1, 2023
Runners for injured players have been outlawed in international cricket, while substitutes are only permitted in the event of a player being concussed. While Lyon said he had no issue with that ruling, he was also critical of crude suggestions he had only gone out to bat in the hope of being struck on the head.
That could have led to backup spinner Todd Murphy being allowed into the game as a concussion sub but Lyon pointed to the tragic death of Australian batter Phillip Hughes, who was killed after being hit on the neck by a bouncer doing a 2014 Sheffield Shield match.
“Test cricket’s been around a lot longer than I have and injuries are part of the game,” Lyon added. “I have heard comments that I only went out there to get hit in the head but I’m really against that. I have lost one of my mates due to being hit in the head so I think that’s a really poor conversation being had, if I’m honest with you.
“But no, I don’t think for soft tissue injuries [there should be substitutes]. But for concussion it’s a pretty big risk so I’m happy with that but any other injuries, no. That’s my opinion.”
