Australia's chances of retaining the Ashes suffered a massive setback on the second day of the Lord's Test when ace spinner Nathan Lyon limped off the field. Lyon, the sole spinner for Australia is suspected to have suffered a calf injury, casting doubt on his further involvement in the ongoing match and the series.
Former Australian skipper Steve Smith, who anchored his side's first innings with a brilliant century, expressed his concerns over Lyon's injury after the end of play on the second day. Smith lamented the injury to the veteran spinner and felt it was a 'big loss' to the visitors. Travis Head chipped in with a few overs of part-time spin after Lyon left the field.
"I haven't been up in the sheds yet, but obviously it didn't look good. It doesn't look ideal for the rest of the game. I'm not sure how he actually is. But obviously, if he's no good, it's a big loss for us. He's in his 100th consecutive Test match, which I know he was really looking forward to taking part in and having a role in as well.
Fingers crossed he's OK, but it didn't look good. For batters, I suppose there's loads of us around, so it's a bit different. It's not ideal, particularly your spin bowler. But Nathan, if he's no good, he'd be a huge loss," Steve Smith told reporters at the end of the day's play.
You never want to see anyone go down with an injury: Ben Duckett
Meanwhile, explosive English opener Ben Duckett, who fell just two short of a memorable century at the home of cricket, sympathised with Lyon after his injury. Although Duckett hoped for a quick recovery for the Aussie, he felt Lyon's injury could severely influence the outcome of the match.
"It's a huge shame, and I really hope it's not too bad for him. You never want to see anyone go down with an injury. We all wish him the best. He was going to play a massive part in that fourth innings, he's such a good bowler. It will be interesting to see how they go about it," Ben Duckett reflected on Lyon's injury.
from Cricket News: Latest and Breaking Cricket News & Updates Today | CricTracker.com https://ift.tt/89cJiyv