Ashes Blow: Nathan Lyon Limps Off After Hamstring Scare In Adelaide; AUS Close In On Series Win

Australia’s march toward Ashes glory in Adelaide was tempered by concern after veteran spinner Nathan Lyon suffered a hamstring injury on the final day of the third Test.

The scare came as Lyon fielded on the fine-leg boundary, diving to stop a potential four before immediately pulling up and clutching the top of his right leg. The moment stirred uncomfortable memories of his calf injury at Lord’s in 2023.

Visibly hampered, the 38-year-old limped from the field with the team physio in tow, and an Australian spokesperson later confirmed he would play no further part in the match.

The timing could hardly be worse. Lyon was in the middle of a spell as Australia closed in on the final four England wickets needed to secure an unassailable 3-0 series

lead. He had already bowled a heavy workload — 53 overs in the match — after managing just two overs in the first Test and being omitted from the second.

The injury raises serious doubts over Lyon’s availability for the final two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, with only four days separating each fixture. Any significant setback would leave him racing the clock, particularly given that the issue again affects his right leg — the same one that suffered the major calf strain that ruled him out of the final three Ashes Tests in 2023.

Lyon’s setback adds to a growing list of soft-tissue injuries troubling Australia’s bowlers this summer, with Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott both also battling hamstring issues.