"Pat Cummins Told Me Not To Bat, But...": Nathan Lyon On Decision To Play On Day 4 Of Lords Test

02.07.2023 - 10:41 sports.ndtv.com

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 onto 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.

cricket Australia Cricket Team England Cricket Team Ashes 2023 Test Cummins on Pat Cummins Nathan Lyon Mitchell Starc Andrew Macdonald Australia South Africa

The legendary Ricky Ponting feels Australian skipper Pat Cummins is more of an old fashioned Test captain, who lets "plans unravel" while his English counter part Ben Stokes tries to make something happen every ball. The decisions of the two relatively new captains in the ongoing Ashes series have given rise to intense debates. While Stokes' call to declare early in the first innings in the opening Test was dissected by media and pundits alike, Cummins' sparse use of rookie spinner Todd Murphy in the loss at Headingley also raised eyebrows.

"Nature Of Beast Is...": Australia Great's Advice For Pat Cummins Ahead Of 4th Ashes Test

The ongoing Ashes series between England and Australia is getting more intense with every passing game. After taking a 2-0 lead, the visitors faced a three-wicket defeat in the third match as the series now stands at 2-1. Australia skipper Pat Cummins has been outstanding in the series, so far. Apart from shining with the ball, the ace pacer also played an unbeaten knock of 44 runs, and guided his team to victory in the first Test. As both teams are now preparing for the fourth Test, the question arises whether the team management will be resting Cummins to manage his workload.

Watch: Pat Cummins Floors Reporters With Epic 2-1 Response To 'Momentum' Question

Australia skipper Pat Cummins has been in fine form this Ashes series, not just on the field but off it too. In the press conference after Australia's defeat to England in the Leeds Test, Cummins was asked by a reporter if the momentum of the game has shifted towards the host because of the third Test's result. Cummins produced a mic-drop moment with his epic response to the journalist who asked the question, sending a laughter riot across the entire press room.

On Pat Cummins, David Warner's Threads Chat, Rishabh Pant's Comment Can't Be Missed

Despite playing the ongoing third Ashes Test match between Australia and England at Headingley in Leeds, Pat Cummins and David Warner took their time out to join the Threads app. Soon after joining the platform, Warner put up a post tagging his Australian teammate Pat Cummins. "Hey I'm now on Threads," wrote Warner. Cummins, in his reply, came out with a special request. "No dance videos on here plz," he commented. What added more fun was the comment of India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant on it. "Best advice bro," wrote the Indian southpaw.

Ricky Ponting Clarifies 'Pat Cummins Might Have To Re-Think Appeal' Off-Air Comment

With the third Ashes Test scheduled to be played between July 6-10, the dust seemed to have settled over England batter Jonny Bairstow's controversial dismissal in the second Test at Lord's which Australia won by 43 runs to 2-0 in the five-game series. On the eve of the 3rd Test at Headingley, England captain Ben Stokes insisted it was time "everyone moved on" from the incident, which reinvigorated the 'Spirit of Cricket' debate. Former England Nasser Hussain has revealed that Australia great Ricky Ponting told him off-air that the visiting skipper, Pat Cummins, "might have to re-think his appeal".