Nathan Lyon has suffered a right hamstring injury and will not bowl again in the third Ashes Test match. The injury also puts him in serious doubt for the remainder of the series.
Lyon, 38, dived to save a ball at fine leg but got up gingerly and immediately signaled to the dressing room after grabbing his right hamstring. He stopped off the field of play at fine leg and hobbled to the changing rooms after exchanging a brief word with Marnus Labuschagne, who patted him on the back.
He was seen on crutches leaving Adelaide Oval before the lunch interval on the fifth day for a scan on the injury. A Cricket Australia spokesperson confirmed he would take no further part in the match.
Lyon suffered a series-ending right calf injury in the 2023 Ashes while running for a ball in the field at Lord’s in the second Test.
He had taken five key wickets in the match, including three in the second innings to swing the game
Australia‘s way. If Lyon is unable to play in the fourth Test in Melbourne, it will create an interesting selection debate about who would play as Australia’s specialist spinner.
Left-arm spinner
Matthew Kuhnemann is on Australia’s contract list as Australia’s No. 2 Test spinner and toured West Indies with the team. But he has that role as a complementary second spinner to Lyon in spin-friendly conditions overseas.
Left-arm orthodox has not been as successful as offspin in Australian conditions in recent years. Kuhnemann has only played two Sheffield Shield matches this summer due to Australia white-ball duty and injury, taking four wickets at 36.
Victorian offspinner
Todd Murphy, who has played seven Tests including two in the 2023 Ashes as Lyon’s replacement, has bowled well in Sheffield Shield cricket this summer and was Australia A’s specialist spinner in the recent game against England Lions in Brisbane, taking three wickets.
Murphy also has an excellent record at the MCG. He has 10 Shield wickets at 23.70, striking at 55.80, but has not bowled a lot due to the dominance of Victoria’s seamers.
Western Australian offspinner
Corey Rocchiccioli has been the leading spinner in Shield cricket in recent years with his extra height and bounce proving a handful for Shield batters on his home ground at the WACA. He has 20 wickets at 28.20, striking at 53.30 after taking 38 at 27.71 last season.
Australia played an all-seam attack in the second Test at the Gabba in Brisbane but would be unlikely to do so in Melbourne.
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