"I'd do anything for this team" - Nathan Lyon explains his decision to bat on Day 4 at Lord's despite calf strain
Australia's veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon has opened up on coming out to bat on Day 4 at Lord's on Saturday despite a 'significant calf strain'. The 35-year-old said that every run matters in the Ashes, so he wanted to contribute in whatever way he could.
Contrary to expectations, the veteran spinner walked out to bat and added 15 runs with Mitchell Starc for the last weicket. The New South Wales cricketer cracked some impressive shots, including a boundary, before slicing one to mid-wicket.
After the fourth day's play, Lyon said that he was in tears after realising the magnitude of his injury. The 122-Test veteran added that he's keen to return to what he loves doing. As quoted by The Evening Standard, he said:
"I’ve been pretty shattered, I’ve been in tears, I’ve been upset and been hurting. 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, 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.”
Lyon injured his calf on Day 2 of the Test while fielding and hobbled off and did not return.
He arrived on crutches ahead of Day 3, and Cricket Australia said that a call will be taken on his participation in the remaining three Tests after the Lord's game. Todd Murphy is now likely to play at Headingley.
"It was interesting being in the long room" - Nathan Lyon
The off-spinner added that he stayed in the long room at the Lord's, as he would've been timed out, given his injury.
"I had to go down and wait down in the long room because otherwise I would have been timed out. 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."
Australia need six more wickets on Day 5 to go 2-0 up in the five-Test series.