"You tend to think your career is done" - Nathan Lyon recalls being dropped for 2013 Ashes opener ahead of his 100th consecutive Test
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon recently spoke about how he felt after being dropped from the playing XI for the first Test of the 2013 Ashes series ahead of the second Test at Lord's, starting Wednesday, June 27. The 35-year-old will become the sixth cricketer and the first bowler to play in 100 consecutive Tests.
Lyon played 22 Tests for Australia until the 2013 Ashes, including an impressive tour of India four months prior, where he picked up nine wickets in the final Test in Delhi.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Nathan Lyon recalled his thoughts about being dropped 10 years ago in favor of slow-left-arm spinner Ashton Agar.
"I remember that day at Trent Bridge pretty clearly when I got told I wasn't playing," Lyon said. "I just remember sitting on the end of Brad Haddin's bed and talking about it. It's weird feeling when you get dropped, especially as a young cricketer, young in your international career."
The New South Wales bowler also credited Brad Haddin for providing him with clarity during the torrid time in 2013.
You tend to think your career is done, what are you going to do next, will my family still love me and all that stuff," he added. "These are the thoughts which go through your head. It wasn't until Brad said: Mate, you just need to talk to the selectors and find out what the reason was and go out and prove them wrong. I did that, I'm proud of that, and the way I went about it."
Lyon's cricketing career has come full circle 10 years later as he finished as the leading wicket-taker, with 88 scalps in the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
The star off-spinner was instrumental in Australia's run to the final, with his four-wicket haul in the second innings of the summit clash against India helping Australia clinch the WTC title.
The 35-year-old is currently eighth all-time in Test wickets with 495 and could become only the fourth spinner to scale the 500-wicket mark in the Lord's Test.
"I got told I couldn't bowl to right-handers" - Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon also recalled being told of his inability to bowl to right-handers despite being an off-spinner. However, he has put those thoughts to bed in his illustrious career, bagging 322 right-handers in his 495 total wickets.
Lyon spoke about talking to former Australian great Michael Clarke to get better at bowling to right-handed batters.
"Back then, I got told I couldn't bowl to right-handers. It was really good advice at that stage to allow me to try and get better and figure out how to get better. It's been an incredible journey," Lyon said.
The 35-year-old picked up seven of his eight scalps against right-handers in the first Test of the ongoing Ashes to help Australia take a 1-0 series lead. It included the wicket of star batter Joe Root in the second innings and dangerman Jonny Bairstow in both innings.
Nathan Lyon also scored a crucial 16* in an unbeaten 55-run partnership with skipper Pat Cummins to propel Australia to a two-wicket win in a tense run chase.