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Nathan Lyon is doubtful for the remainder of the Ashes after the star spinner suffered a serious-looking calf harm on a disastrous day for Australia at Lord’s.
England went to stumps on day two at 4-278 in reply to Australia’s first-innings 416, with the sport again within the steadiness after the hosts threw away three last-session wickets.
Friday morning now looms as essential, not solely within the struggle for a first-innings lead however as Australia await a clearer prognosis on Lyon’s proper leg.
The 36-year-old pulled up brief when charging in to try a catch at deep backward sq., instantly clutching at his calf afterwards and limping from the sphere.
The harm is prone to go away Australia with no frontline spinner for the remainder of the match, with first-innings centurion Steve Smith and Travis Head sharing duties within the night.
Past that, Todd Murphy is in Australia’s squad for the collection and would form as the person referred to as upon if Lyon is dominated out of the third Take a look at at Headingley, beginning subsequent Thursday.
Such has been Lyon’s longevity, with the Lord’s Take a look at his a hundredth in a row, Australia haven’t been compelled to name on one other tweaker to be chief spinner since 2013.
“Clearly it didn’t look good,” Smith stated.
“It doesn’t look ultimate for the remainder of the sport. However yeah, I’m unsure how he truly is. However, you realize, clearly if he’s no good, it’s an enormous loss for us.
“He’s in his a hundredth consecutive Take a look at match, which I do know he was actually trying ahead to participating in and having a task in as nicely.”
Lyon’s harm got here after he took the only wicket in England’s innings till that time, outsmarting Zak Crawley on 48 and having him stumped down legside.
The wicket moved him to 496 in his profession, and at that time it appeared as if the five hundred milestone may come this week.
For all of Australia’s ache for Lyon, England ought to have rammed dwelling their benefit.
With Australia missing their chief spinner and the rating at 1-188, the hosts misplaced three males to brief balls as they fell into an apparent lure from Australia’s bowlers.
Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root have been all caught taking part in the hook shot, with England’s star batter Root having additionally been caught behind on one attempting to hook a Cameron Inexperienced no-ball.
Pope toe-ended a Inexperienced bouncer to Smith backward-square on 42, Duckett hit Josh Hazlewood down Warner’s throat on 98 and Root was neatly caught by Smith behind sq. off Mitchell Starc on 10.
Harry Brooks was additionally fortunate to not fall to the tactic, dropped by Marnus Labuschagne on 25 off Pat Cummins.
He went to stumps unbeaten on 45, with Ben Stokes alongside him on 17 after taking a number of balls to the physique reasonably than pulling.
“It was attention-grabbing,” Smith stated when requested if he was shocked England saved taking the brief ball on.
“In the event that they received underneath a couple of we would’ve stopped doing it perhaps, however they saved taking it on and saved presenting alternatives for us.”
Earlier, Smith had introduced up his twelfth Ashes century as Australia misplaced 5-77 on Thursday morning.
After resuming on 85, the vice-captain briefly appeared vulnerable to working out of companions when Alex Carey was trapped lbw by Stuart Broad and Starc edged off rapidly.
However with Cummins (22no) on the different finish, Smith introduced up three-figures when he drove James Anderson by the covers, holding his arms aloft in celebration.
Smith was ultimately caught within the slips driving attempting to drive Josh Tongue (3-98), however his 110 drew him stage with Steve Waugh for the second-most centuries by an Australian with 32.