Veteran Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon has confirmed he is 100 per cent fit ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Nathan Lyon mentioned that he has hip pain due to a minor injury but assured that he is fit to play and the issue is not affecting his bowling.
Steve Smith has been named interim captain of the Australian team in the absence of Pat Cummins, who is on paternity leave. Australia have announced a 16-man squad including Lyon, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann. The spinners are expected to play a key role in turning the pitch.
When I jump on my side, it’s quite painful – Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon had a limited over with the ball in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against India, where the home team secured a 3-1 series win. The veteran spinner scored 122.4 overs in five Test matches in the recent series, his lowest score in a four- or five-Test series and his lowest in the domestic summer.
Lyon revealed that his hip problem started during the first Test against India. Lyon said he aggravated a small bursa in his hip, which caused pain, especially when landing on it. He stated that the injury has not affected his ability to bowl, despite it being quite painful.
“It’s hard to explain; I’m not very good with medical terms. It’s like a small stock market [fluid sack] in my side. I made it worse and it was painful. It doesn’t stop me from bowling, but when I land on my side it’s quite painful,” Lyon told The Sydney Morning Herald.
Australia relied less on Lyon due to pitches favoring fast bowlers. He took nine wickets at an average of 36.88 during the Indian series. However, this lighter workload could benefit him ahead of the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. Lyon is expected to play a central role in the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Trying to avoid contact – Nathan Lyon
After the scan and treatment, Lyon resumed his fitness routine, including running and working out in the gym. He assured that his condition is improving, saying that he will be 100 percent ready. Lyon added that he avoided contact during his recovery and remains optimistic.
“Everything is going well, it’s getting better. I will be 100 percent ready,” Lyon assured. “I had a scan after the test and the jab. Everything is going well, he is recovering. I ran and worked out in the gym [on Friday]. I try to avoid contact. I will be 100 percent ready.”
I doubt we will play five spinners – Nathan Lyon
Nathan Lyon, who has experience of playing in Sri Lankan conditions, scored 87 overs in the Test in Colombo in 2016. Although hitters are often expected, Lyon predicts “good wickets for cricket”, recalling the second Test in 2022 where Dinesh Chandimal scored a double century.
“I originally thought it would be spin-friendly but I think it will be similar to the second Test in 2022 when Dinesh Chandimal got 206. It will be a tough job but I doubt we will play five spinners,” he added. .
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