The visiting team of the Ashes 2023 suffered a huge blow as Australia’s off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been ruled out of the Ashes 2023 due to a calf injury. Nathan suffered an injury during the second Test which ruled him out of the remaining Ashes 2023. The injury could be described as a tear injury that he suffered during the second day of the Lord’s Test. He didn’t bowl well in the match after that but tried to bat & added 15 runs for the final wicket with Mitchell Starc in the second innings. And Australia won the second Test by 43 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
Notably, the second Test was Lyon’s 100th Test in a row for the Australian team. Only five players before him i.e. Alastair Cook, Allan Border, Mark Waugh, Sunil Gavaskar, and Brendon McCullum had managed to achieve this feat. The feat shows his consistency & testament as a Test player.
Todd Murphy to play in Nathan Lyon’s Absence
In Nathan’s absence, Australia will bring in off-spinner Todd Murphy into the Playing XI for the Headingley Test which will begin on July 6. He enjoyed a major breakthrough debut on the Australia Tour of India in 2023 scalping 14 wickets from four Tests at an average of 25.21. This included a seven-wicket haul on his debut in Nagpur.
Meanwhile, Australia has released back-up batter Matt Renshaw from the squad for the third Test as the management decided to keep in-form batter David Warner into the squad who scored a crucial 66 in the opening Test held at Lord’s. However, Renshaw will remain in the UK as a standby player while Michael Neser has been added to the squad as a bowler in the 16-man squad.
Ashes 2023: Australia squad for Leeds Test:
David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Todd Murphy, Scott Boland, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson
Also read, BCCI Announces Squad For India Women’s Tour Of Bangladesh
