Nathan Lyon's revelation about wife after heroics in second Ashes Test
The veteran Aussie spinner batted with a torn calf against England at Lord's.
Nathan Lyon has revealed how wife Emma tried to talk him out of batting with a badly torn calf during the second Ashes Test, as well as captain Pat Cummins and the Australian team medics. The Aussie veteran won widespread praise when he hobbled out to bat in the second innings despite tearing his calf a day earlier in the field.
Lyon combined with Mitchell Starc for a valuable 15-run partnership at the end of Australia's second innings, and even managed to pull Stuart Broad away to the boundary for four. The partnership helped Australia get as many runs as possible in their second dig as they went on to win by 43 runs.
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But speaking on Monday, Lyon revealed how many of those around him tried to convince him batting wasn't a good idea. It was only coach Andrew McDonald who supported Lyon's decision and got the courageous move ticked off by medical staff.
"(Wife Emma) just looked at me and said 'you are an absolute idiot. I'm helping you in the shower and everything like that, you're an idiot'," Lyon recalled on the 'Willow Talk Cricket' podcast.
"I went to the ground, spoke to the medical team in the morning, they said 'nah, you're not batting'. So I went to Pat (Cummins) and Pat said 'you're not batting, Gaz, get it out of your head'.
"I went to (coach Andrew McDonald) and said 'I am batting'. He goes 'good, I'm thinking the same thing'. I knew the risks. If it was a minor tear I probably wouldn't have gone out ... But I knew I was out for the next 10-12 weeks."
The 36-year-old said he knew immediately that his Ashes series was over after he sprinted in from the boundary to try to take a catch. He pulled up in pain and limped off the ground with a team medic.
"I went to take off and I just heard this little gun shot and just felt it go straight away. I knew straight away my series was done there and then," he said.
"I was confident I would have caught that catch if I was able to push off my right foot. I remember Uzzie (Khawaja) running over saying 'what's up? You got a cramp?'.
"And I said 'nup, I've just blown my calf to bits'. The emotions set in then I sat in the changerooms for the next three-and-a-half days."
Nathan Lyon adamant his Test cricket career isn't over
The 122-Test veteran also said he is adamant the injury will not mark the end of his illustrious career, and is confident he will play in the first Test of the home summer against Pakistan in December. He also dismissed suggestions his decision to bat at Lord's with the torn calf will delay his comeback.
Meanwhile, the spinner has also lifted the lid on an angry altercation that some of the Aussie players had with Jonny Bairstow behind the scenes after the England wicketkeeper's controversial dismissal in the same Test. Bairstow was stumped by counterpart Alex Carey when he left his crease early thinking the over was complete, a dismissal that caused outrage in England.
"Jonny had a few words here and there, but that's all part of it, I'm all for it," Lyon said. "There were a few Australian guys and a few English guys in the lunchroom and I hobbled up on my crutches and stood in the middle of it and tried to calm things down a little bit."
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