Australia’s hopes of retaining the Ashes were dealt a severe blow during the second day of the Lord’s Test when Nathan Lyon, their key spinner, had to leave the field due to a suspected calf injury. Lyon’s injury has raised doubts about his participation in the current match and the entire series. Former Australian captain Steve Smith, who scored a magnificent century in the first innings, expressed his worries about Lyon’s injury, considering it a significant loss for the team. In Lyon’s absence, Travis Head provided some part-time spin bowling.
“I haven’t been up in the sheds yet, but obviously it didn’t look good. It doesn’t look ideal for the rest of the game. I’m not sure how he actually is. But obviously, if he’s no good, it’s a big loss for us. He’s in his 100th consecutive Test match, which I know he was really looking forward to taking part in and having a role in as well. Fingers crossed he’s OK, but it didn’t look good. For batters, I suppose there’s loads of us around, so it’s a bit different. It’s not ideal, particularly your spin bowler. But Nathan, if he’s no good, he’d be a huge loss,”
Steve Smith said.
You never want to see anyone go down with an injury: Ben Duckett
On the other hand, dynamic English batsman Ben Duckett, who narrowly missed out on a remarkable century at Lord’s, expressed empathy towards Lyon. Duckett wished for a speedy recovery but acknowledged that Lyon’s injury could significantly impact the game’s result.
“It’s a huge shame, and I really hope it’s not too bad for him. You never want to see anyone go down with an injury. We all wish him the best. He was going to play a massive part in that fourth innings, he’s such a good bowler. It will be interesting to see how they go about it,”
Duckett said.
Follow us on Twitter for more!
