Veteran Australian spinner Nathan Lyon has firmly dismissed any thoughts of retirement, declaring that he remains fully committed to playing every Test match available to him as he continues his recovery from a serious hamstring injury.
Australia resumed the morning on 271 for 4, with Travis Head and Alex Carey continuing the work that had defined Day 3.
After being left out of the XI for the second Test in Brisbane, Lyon had a point to prove in Adelaide, making an instant impact by removing Ollie Pope (3) to go level with McGrath on 563 wickets.
The decision means experienced opener Usman Khawaja remains on the sidelines as he continues his recovery from a back concern, while back-up batter Josh Inglis retains his place in the side and will bat at No. 7.
Despite featuring in 140 Tests for Australia, Lyon has been left out of the XI twice in the last three matches, a rare situation for the experienced campaigner.
Australia’s veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon believes spin will play a key role in determining the outcome of this year’s Ashes series, and expressed his concerns over England’s depleted spin-bowling resources ahead of the much-anticipated contest, which begins on November 21 in Perth.
Australia’s greatest off-spinner Nathan Lyon has backed Jack Leach as England’s premier spinner, despite the recent rise of Shoaib Bashir, who is currently sidelined with injury and expected to feature in the 2025-26 Ashes tour.
The presence of multiple experienced and skilled bowlers in the Australian camp is only improving the standards in training, revealed Lyon.
While Lyon acknowledged that the experience of playing in high-pressure finals, including the last WTC Final will help the Kangaroos, he insisted that it counts for little in a one-off encounter against a side that topped the WTC standings.
India succumbed to a score of 234 in 63.3 overs with Mohammad Shami as the last player standing with a score of 13(8)*.
