‘Really poor’ – Nathan Lyon hits out at suggestion he tried to take advantage of concussion sub rule

Nathan Lyon has railed against the suggestion that he tried to take advantage of the concussion sub rule by coming out to bat with an injured calf against England in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

Lyon received a standing ovation as he limped out to bat, despite a significant calf injury he had sustained earlier in the game. The blow may yet rule Lyon out of the remainder of the series, but he stuck around with Mitchell Starc to add 15 runs for the last wicket.

Cricket’s rules only allow full substitutions in specific circumstances – if a player returns a positive Covid-19 test, or if a player is concussed. With Lyon’s injury neither of those, Australia were left short, with his absence especially glaring given they would be without a frontline spinner in the fourth innings.