Australia’s Ashes campaign has been dealt a major blow with star spinner Nathan Lyon’s status for the remainder of the series in doubt after he suffered a calf injury.
The 35-year-old, who is playing in his 100th consecutive Test match, pulled up lame while chasing a ball in the outfield in the final session of day two.
Lyon immediately grabbed at his right calf muscle and fell to the turf, before he was assisted off the ground by one of Australia’s medical staff.
AS IT HAPPENED: The Ashes second Test, day two
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The loss of Lyon further soured what was a tough day at the office for Australia, as England ended day two on 4-278, 138 runs behind Australia’s first-innings total of 416.
Cricket Australia confirmed that Lyon had suffered a calf injury, with the extent of the damage done to be determined ahead of play on day three.
Lyon looked shattered as he was helped off the ground and his reaction drew sympathy from former England captain Andrew Strauss.
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“He is in pain. It doesn’t look like cramp,” he said on commentary.
“With a cramp you’re looking to stretch out that muscle. It looks like he’s struggling big time. That is not a good sight if you’re an Australian supporter.
“You can see he’s walking almost on the side of his foot there, so that looks like a significant calf injury to me.
“That’s really hard to watch. It really is an awful sight. You can tell from the look on his face, the enormity of it is really settling in for him there. Awful scenes.”
Fellow England great Kevin Pietersen speculated that Lyon could miss the remainder of the series due to the calf injury.
”Having been the recipient of a couple of calf pops, and they are pops because the muscle just feels like it pops, it’s a problem,” he said on commentary.
“Just the way he was walking there, it definitely wasn’t cramp. He was walking on the side of his foot and trying to protect that calf.
“That’s the series over if it’s a pop for Nathan Lyon.”
It was a bitter end to day two for Australia, who began the day in a commanding position.
Smith’s hundred highlights
While Steve Smith notched his 32nd Test century and 12th against England, his dismissal shortly afterwards on 110 led to another Australian lower-order collapse.
The tourists lost their final five wickets for 77 runs on day two as England got themselves back into the contest.
After dismissing Australia for 416, England’s opening pair of Zak Crawley (48) and Ben Duckett (98) capitalised on the positive momentum created by the bowlers.
England was cruising at 1-188 when Australia, having lost Lyon, turned to an almost exclusive short-pitched bowling game plan.
The unconventional field placements worked in the tourists’ favours, with England losing three wickets in the space of seven overs in the final session.
England skipper Ben Stokes (17 not out) steadied the ship after a manic period of play, and will return to the crease alongside Harry Brook (45 not out) to begin day three.
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