Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has been ruled out of the remainder of the third Ashes Test due to a hamstring injury. This injury also casts doubt on his participation in the remainder of the series.
Lyon, 38, injured his right hamstring while diving to save a ball at fine leg. He signaled to the dressing room shortly after the incident. After a brief conversation with Marnus Labuschagne, who offered him encouragement, Lyon left the field and limped to the changing rooms. Before the lunch break on the fifth day, he was seen on crutches as he exited Adelaide Oval for an injury scan.
According to a representative from Cricket Australia, Lyon will not take part in the rest of the game. This is not the first time he has faced a similar injury. In the second Test of the 2023 Ashes at Lord’s, Lyon sustained a right calf injury while chasing a ball, which ended his series involvement.
During the third Test, Lyon had taken five crucial wickets, including three in the second innings.
Should Lyon be unable to play in the fourth Test in Melbourne, there will be an intriguing selection debate regarding Australia’s specialist spinner.
Matthew Kuhnemann, Australia’s No. 2 Test spinner and a left-arm spinner, is on the team’s contract list and has traveled to the West Indies. However, he usually serves as Lyon’s complementary second spinner in spin-friendly conditions abroad. In recent years, off-spin has outperformed left-arm orthodox in Australian conditions. Due to injuries and Australia’s white-ball commitments, Kuhnemann has participated in only two Sheffield Shield games this season, taking four wickets at an average of 36.
Veteran off-spinner Todd Murphy, who has played seven Tests, including three Ashes matches, is also a potential replacement for Lyon.