Mitchell Starc says Nathan Lyon still has the drive to come back from another muscle injury, even though the veteran off-spinner’s Ashes campaign ended in Adelaide when he pulled up with a torn hamstring.
Lyon, 38, limped from the field on the final morning after a dive at long leg went wrong. Scans confirmed the strain, and he spent the remainder of the day on crutches—though he ditched them long enough to belt out the team song once Australia had wrapped up victory and, with it, the Ashes.
It is the second major injury Lyon has suffered in as many away Ashes series; he tore a calf at Lord’s in 2023. Until that first mishap he had played 100 Tests in a row, a run stretching back to 2013. Australia’s next Test assignment is not until August in Bangladesh, the start of what could be a 21-match stretch in ten months, so the timing is awkward but not catastrophic.
Lyon’s latest comeback had been going nicely. Recalled after being omitted for the pink-ball match in Brisbane, he grabbed five wickets in Adelaide, overtaking Glenn McGrath to move into second on Australia’s all-time list. His burst on the fourth afternoon—Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Zak Crawley in quick succession—shut the door on England’s fight-back.
Starc, who took nine wickets himself, feels Lyon still has plenty to offer. “Really unfortunate for him,” Starc said. “I’m sure it’s a tough one to take. He contributed a lot in this Test match. So he should first and foremost enjoy the moment. He’s helped us get to this victory.
“He’s obviously had a lay-off with his calf through England, so he’s sort of more on board with the fast bowlers in terms of what rehab takes. I think he’s still got that hunger to give more to Australia. So that’s all for him to think through. Hopefully it’s not a huge lay-off. But, yeah, obviously disappointed for him. Hopefully he’s back sooner than later.”
The left-arm quick, 35 next birthday, brushed aside any suggestion of his own fatigue with two Tests still to play. “[Feeling] good, ready to go,” he said. “I think my average speed was better than anyone’s, so good to go.”
Age was a talking point before the series—Cameron Green is the only Australian player under 30—but experience has looked an asset rather than a liability. England, by contrast, have six men on their first Test tour down under and have struggled to adapt to the extra bounce and unforgiving Kookaburra ball.
“I think a lot was made about how old the group is and how experienced they are,” Starc said. “Perhaps that’s played into our hands. Having been through some good times and some not so good times over the course of our careers together, I think certainly in the last number of years it’s been a pretty level group. Things have never gotten too high or low.
“If we haven’t had a good day, it’s pretty easy to move on from and learn from. Absolutely a feature of our group and to guys that have come in, less experienced or younger, the freedom to express themselves as players but also learn from that experience has”
Australia lead 3-0 with Melbourne and Sydney still to come. Pat Cummins called the position “hugely satisfying” in the post-match press conference, yet the captain also acknowledged the need to manage workloads wisely. With Lyon sidelined, Todd Murphy is the only specialist spinner in the squad; if the SCG pitch shows its usual turn, the youngster may find himself thrust into a decisive role.
For Lyon it is back to rehab, a routine he knows too well. The offie has often spoken of playing on until the 2027 Ashes in England. Starc’s endorsement suggests the dressing-room believes that target remains realistic; the next eight months will reveal whether the body agrees.
