Nathan Lyon is doing everything he can to return in time for Australia’s first Test against Bangladesh, but his place in the playing XI is still not guaranteed. He has recovered well from a serious hamstring injury, but he still has to prove his fitness before Australia takes the final call.
The Australian national cricket team will begin the two-match Test series against Bangladesh on August 13 in Darwin. Lyon is desperate to be back on the field, but the national selectors and medical team do not want to rush the senior bowler before they are fully satisfied with his recovery. Recently, Nathan Lyon recently made stunning remark on Ben Stokes.
Nathan Lyon’s comeback faces final fitness test before Bangladesh series
Nathan Lyon picked up the hamstring injury during the third Ashes Test in December 2025. Since then, the veteran bowler has spent months working on his rehabilitation. Earlier this month, the off-spinner sounded very confident about his comeback after all the hard work he had put into his recovery. He also made it clear that he still wants to play every Test match for Australia.
However, things are not that easy. It is being said that Nathan Lyon still has to clear a few important fitness checks before he gets the green signal to return to action. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has also said that Lyon is moving in the right direction, but there are still a few boxes left to tick.
Andrew McDonald was quoted as saying by CODE Sports: “The information on Nathan is positive at this stage; he’s still got a little bit to go, sort of at the back end of the preparation for that Test series. He seemed relatively optimistic that he’d be available. So, we’ve got those camps coming up in July, so we’ll see him in front of us there. So, at this stage, there is no news to say that he won’t be available, but he’s got a little bit to go to get up to the high-speed running, to the demands of Test cricket, so we’ll just wait and see whether he can tick that off.”
Australia won’t rush Nathan Lyon despite positive injury recovery
The head coach is not worried about Lyon’s bowling because they know his experience and skills are as sharp as ever, but they are only worried about whether his body is ready for the physical demands of Test cricket.
Australia will get a better idea during the training camps next month, where if everything goes well, Lyon is expected to lead the spin attack against Bangladesh.
McDonald added, “I don’t think skill’s going to be the question with Nathan. I think it’s more going to be around where his body’s at and if he’s capable of being ready for that first Test match, and if he’s not, then there are a lot of Test matches after that as well.
So, it would mean that the medical team’s made a decision that they’re respecting the surgery, and there are a lot of Test matches after that.”
Australia line up Todd Murphy, Matt Kuhnemann as backup plans
However, if Nathan Lyon is not fully fit, Australia has already prepared backup options. Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann will both train with the squad in the camp.
McDonald signed off by saying, “Todd will be part of that (training) group, and so will Matthew Kuhnemann, so he’ll be up there as well in preparation for that.”
Kuhnemann has done stunning job whenever he has played for Australia. The left-arm spinner has taken 25 wickets in only five Test matches and played a big role in famous victories in India and Sri Lanka. Murphy has also made a strong impression, picking up 22 wickets in seven Tests, and many believe he is the leading man to replace Lyon if needed for Bangladesh Tests.
Australia is being extra careful because of a long and challenging season ahead. The Bangladesh series is only the beginning. Over the next year, Australia is expected to play at least 20 Test matches, with tough tours of South Africa, India, and England. If they qualify for the WTC final, it would be 21 Tests.
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Author: Rashmi Wasnik
