Nathan Lyon has slammed Kevin Pietersen comments suggesting Australia would benefit from him being hit in the head while batting so he could be subbed out of the game.
A wounded Lyon provided the iconic moment of this Ashes series on Saturday, batting with a badly injured calf to help Australia add 15 runs for the final wicket at Lord’s.
Such was Lyon’s state, the 35-year-old had to hobble down the stairs of the Lord’s Pavilion one wicket early to ensure he was not timed-out, before sitting with the crowd until batting.
Still needing crutches to move properly, the 35-year-old then limped onto the field without them, used his bat as a walking stick and even hopped a single once in the middle.
Kevin Pietersen. (Photo by Gareth Copley – ECB/ECB via Getty Images)
The effort won him a standing ovation from Lord’s and even a chant of his nickname Garry from sections of the crowd after he hit a four to help Australia set England a fourth-innings target of 371.
England went to stumps at 4-114 in pursuit.
The decision for Lyon to bat was met with questions in commentary on whether Australia had got desperate for runs by risking any further injury.
Pietersen also questioned on Sky Sports what would happen if Lyon was hit on the head and concussed amid England’s bumper barrage, allowing for a concussion substitute.
“Imagine if he (Lyon) had been hit on the head and got concussion,” Pietersen said.
“He’d have got a like-for-like replacement and a world class spinner (Murphy), based on how he performed in India, it gives food for thought.”
Lyon is understood to have heard of the Pietersen comments and hit out at them after play, given the Australian team’s trauma following Phillip Hughes’ 2014 death.
“I have heard comments that people thought I went out there to get hit in the head,” Lyon said.
“I’m really against that because I’ve lost one of my mates due to being hit in the head. So I think that’s a really poor excuse or conversation being had.”
Lyon played 13 Tests with Hughes, and was on the field at the SCG the day he died.
He will meet with Australia’s medical staff on Sunday to map out a recovery plan, but said he was shattered by the prospect his series was likely over.
“It’s been a lot more down than up,” Lyon said.
“I have been absolutely shattered. I have been in tears, I have been upset, I have been hurting. That shows this team means everything to me.
“And I will start this rehab journey now to get back and play my role and keep loving what I am able to do.”
Lyon’s wounded effort on Saturday was reminiscent of that Rick McCosker batting with a broken jaw in the 1977 Centenary Test, helping Australia to a 45-run victory.
England great Colin Cowdrey walked out to bat with a plastered broken arm at Lord’s in 1963, helping England save a Test against West Indies.
Nathan Lyon is checked on by Joe Root. (Photo by Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Lyon backed Murphy to withstand England’s all-out batting assault, as he prepares to hand over the mantle of Australia’s chief spinner for the first time in a decade.
“His stock ball is good enough in international cricket. We have seen that in India in arguably the hardest place to bowl spin,” Lyon said.
“It will be a different challenge with the England batters.
“If they do come at him, it provides Todd with a decent challenge. But a chance to leave his footmarks here in England. It is a big Ashes series, he is excited by the opportunity.
“I sat with Todd in the last session there and spoke about spin bowling as we do. I have a lot of confidence in Todd. He is a great kid. He is willing to learn along the way.
“I have told him my phone is always on, it doesn’t matter if I am sitting in the changeroom with him or I am sitting at home watching it in bed.”
Lyon said he was gutted by the prospect of missing the rest of the series after 100 straight Tests, but was adamant it would not be the end of his Test career.
The Headingley Test will be the first one Lyon will miss since Lord’s 2013.
“I’ve been extremely lucky with injuries. I’ve been around since August 2011 and we’ve had 126 Test matches and I’ve played 122 of them,” Lyon said.
“This is just a little speed bump in the road. This isn’t career-defining. I am hungrier than ever to get back out there.”
Pom in exile
Roar Rookie
Nice.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I've got a little black box that allows me to watch English Sky Sports
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
KP could bat a bit back in the day but he does little but take other peoples oxygen in the commentary box.
Rellum
Roar Guru
T20 cricket has brought up a generation on players that pull and hook either from the front foot or with no footwork at all, because as we know, there is little short stuff to worry about in T20 cricket, certainly not on a day 4 pitch. If we are trying to bring through Test quality kids, they have to learn to get inside the line of the ball with back foot movement.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
I’ve never enjoyed KPs commentary .. Actually I’m a bit of a Michael Holding fan myself and the late Shane Warne was another I totally enjoyed . But this series clearly Pieterson has come with an agenda and like it or not he has got tongues wagging and is generating interest . Old cliché’ , any publicity is good publicity . Something to that effect . I have a strong suspicion this is his directive from Sky Sports . So I can argue… Mission accomplished ! Get under peoples skins , we give you licence . Frankly he is just the right guy for the job too. KP has never shirked from wading into controversy .
Shire
Roar Rookie
From a stats perspective, his bowling under Cummins has been almost identical to under Smith - averaging a hair under 29, striking at about 60 and with an economy rate of 2.8-2.9. He definitely suffered a bit under Paine for whatever reason, striking at closer to 70. His batting is definitely a little better, and he's played a couple of good tailender knocks.
Pom in exile
Roar Rookie
They were Ch7 I think and TMS in the UK.
Pom in exile
Roar Rookie
Honestly who has the time though? I do miss the full Sky coverage, although I’m not enamoured by Pietersen or Morgan. We had one bit of comms from Ian Ward yesterday and he’s considerably better than both. The Ch9 link person (I think her name is Louise Ransome) asks questions of the guests/pundit (Tubby) and then doesn’t bother to listen to the answer and asks another question, she doesn’t have much understanding about what she’s being asked to talk about it seems.
Shire
Roar Rookie
Athers, Hussein and Ponting are all very good and I enjoy listening to them in their various combinations. I have also enjoyed Sangakkara during the WTC final and a few other matches, along with Brian Lara when he did commentary on Fox for the West Indies tour - hopefully he joins in again next Summer. Unfortunately, there is a real dearth of commentary talent, especially in Australian cricket. Home summers are shocking.
danwain
Roar Rookie
Can see it mostly on YouTube mate
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Is it just me or has Lyon blossomed and been happier under Cummins. Never seen him bat better or bowl better than recently
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Pietersen / idiotic must surely be a tautology now
FrancisF
Roar Pro
The Aussies MUST bowl out the Poms and take the 2nd Test to do justice to the incredible effort by Nathan Lyons to put extra runs on the score board. If the Aussies take the 2nd Test, it should known as NATHAN LYONS TEST VICTORY.
Pom in exile
Roar Rookie
How do you get that? We have the Ch9 mob.
HR
Roar Rookie
I think it was Ponting suggesting that juniors should be batting without helmets when they're using a soft ball so they learn to sway out of the way. He was also the one commenting the he got good at getting out the way because he was playing against adults on a concrete pitch when he was a young teenager. Regarding the idea of playing without a helmet when using a soft ball, that's certainly what I remember doing when playing junior cricket (U10s anyway, can't remember the age group we switched to a hard ball). I can't see any particular issue with his suggestion - maybe eye protection would be warranted if there's a big concern about injury.
Just call me Campo
Roar Rookie
I think its been taken a bot out of context. Wasn't he saying juniors should use a softer ball and learn how to bet out of the way? Anyway, I personally find his commentary boorish and self centred. Can we get rid of him?
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Pietersen might be a pain, but he was just pointing out what could happen under the rules, not suggesting that’s what Lyon or Australia were trying to do. Completely overblown.
All day Roseville all day
Roar Guru
And both talk without interruption through a delivery far too often. It's bad enough when they pause a sentence when the bowler reaches the crease, then finish it immediately the ball has been played by the batsman. Especially when their anecdote or observation is irrelevant to what we're watching at the time.
badmanners
Roar Rookie
It's not like Lyon batted without a helmet.... When we see that or similar you'd know somethings going on.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
agreed. I particularly like their commentary pre & post match.