No Bazball, wear down the pacers in Nathan Lyon's absence: Brad Hogg's advice to England
Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels England should give up Bazball on Day 3 of the second Ashes Test to use Nathan Lyon's injury to their advantage.
The highest wicket-taker of the World Test Championship cycle, Lyon limped off Lord's field in the 37th over on Thursday after suffering a calf injury while fielding. England were in a pole position at that time at 184/1 but Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Joe Root got out taking on short balls, leaving the score at 278/4 at stumps.
Steve Smith in the post-day presentation suggested it was unlikely Lyon will bowl again in the Test.
"No Lyon," Hogg wrote in a tweet on Friday. "England have there chance to get on top of Australia today trying to bat time and wear the pace attack down, rather than the Bazball way. Sometimes you have to change course when a opportunity arises to set up the rest of the test match and series." #Ashes #ENGvsAUS"
England did change course a bit after the wickets. Although Harry Brook maintained a strike rate of 88.24, skipper Ben Stokes finished the day at 17 (57).
Australia might miss Lyon more in the last two days of the Test as the Lord's pitch looks like it will offer some turn in the final innings. In this innings, his role was limited to holding one end which Travis Head, Steve Smith, and Marnus Labuschagne can also do with their part-time spin.
However, that'll also provide England an opportunity to be aggressive.
Travis Head will be handy in Nathan Lyon's absence in the second innings: Michael Vaughan
Former English cricketer Michael Vaughan said after the day's play that Australia has a "lifeline" available in Todd Murphy if Lyon is out for longer than this Test while Head should be "handy" for when Australia bowl next.
"The lucky thing for Australia is that Todd Murphy is a good off-spinner," Vaughan told Cricbuzz. "So they've got a lifeline with him as a replacement. He did well in India so he's not Nathan Lyon but he is a decent off-spinner. I look at Travis Head on this kind of surface, the way he fires them in, he'll be handy in the second innings.
You can catch all the Day 3 action from Lord's here!