Cummins told me not to bat with injured calf but I had to support my teammates: Lyon

Australia’s Nathan Lyon plays a shot during the fourth day of the second Ashes Test match between England and Australia, at Lord’s cricket ground in London on July 1, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Australian cricketer Nathan Lyon was told by his skipper Pat Cummins not to bat with a significant calf strain in the ongoing second Test against England but the veteran spinner ended up doing that to “support” his teammates.

Lyon, playing in his 100th consecutive Test, is suspected to have torn his right calf while running to catch a ball on day two of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

But on Saturday, he hobbled on to the batting crease and helped Australia add 15 runs to increase their lead to 370 runs.

Lyon was the last man out for four runs, his cameo finishing Australia’s second innings on 279.

At stumps on Day 4, England were 114 for four chasing an improbable 371.

“Pat (Cummins) originally said to wake up to myself, that I’m not going out there,” Lyon told Sen Radio on Sunday.

“But I had a chat to (head coach) Andrew McDonald and our medical team and tried to find a way that I could figure out how to go about it.”

Lyon, a veteran of 121 Test and just four wickets short of the landmark 500 scalps in the longest format, added that the painstaking effort from team physios helped him bat those 13 deliveries in the second innings.

“I spent a lot of time in the physio room and in the gym upstairs here at Lord’s with a lot of tape on my leg and trying to figure out how to bat.

“I was just going out there and trying to do my role. There’s a lot of talk about my innings but I went out there to support my teammates. That’s what I do and I’d do it again tomorrow (Sunday). That’s just part of it.”

A severely injured Australian pace bowler Mitchell Starc had bowled despite blood dripping off his finger during the second Test against South Africa at the MCG in December last year.

Lyon said he had been through an emotional roller-coaster over the last two days because of the injury.

“I’m absolutely shattered, heartbroken. Speechless is probably the best way to put it. I had a dream to win an Ashes series over here, I’ve said it publicly, privately and everything else.

“Right now to have a severe calf strain it’s disappointing, it’s heartbreaking.”