Lyon 'shattered' as Aussies weigh up Boxing Day spin call

A "shattered" Nathan Lyon has undergone surgery this morning as Todd Murphy's Boxing Day dream hinges on the conditions that await at his MCG home ground.

Australian coach Andrew McDonald was adamant Lyon had the hunger to return from a second serious soft tissue injury in two-and-a-half years with the veteran spinner facing an extended stint on the sidelines after tearing his right hamstring on day five in Adelaide.

McDonald said Lyon remained a key part of the team's plans with a hectic 20 Test matches on the horizon in the 12 months from mid-next year, including a five-Test tour of India in early 2027.

Lyon's hamstring injury while fielding on the final day of Australia's Ashes-clinching third Test victory in Adelaide comes after the 38-year-old was ruled out of the previous Ashes series after suffering calf injury – also while fielding – at Lord's in 2023.

That ended a streak of 100 consecutive Test appearances for Lyon, also replaced by Murphy in two of the remaining three Tests of that series, with the Victorian taking six wickets in the series finale at The Oval.

Lyon is expected to be released from hospital in Melbourne on Wednesday and will remain with the squad during the Boxing Day Test.

"He's pretty shattered," McDonald said when asked about Lyon's injury.

"Any time you're facing a long time out – and we saw that on the back of the Lord's Test match (in 2023) as well.

"He's a huge part of what we do.

"He's facing a long recovery time frame. That type of injury, it's going to be a hard period for him to get back to where he was.

"But he still wants to do it and that's the main thing."

After bowling just two overs in the Ashes opener in Perth last month and being left out of two of Australia's previous three Tests (Jamaica and Brisbane), McDonald said Lyon returned to near his best before his injury in Adelaide.

"It was probably the best I'd seen him bowl for a little while in terms of the shape and energy he had on the ball," he said.

Australia's next Test series after the Ashes isn't until the middle of next year when they host Bangladesh in the Top End.

But that will launch a bumper 12-month schedule for the Test team that culminates in an away Ashes tour in mid-2027, with winning in an Ashes series in England a goal Lyon has consistently declared he wants to tick off before his career is over.

Following the two-match series against Bangladesh, Australia are scheduled to tour South Africa in for three Tests in September-October 2026 before returning home for four more against New Zealand.

A five-Test tour of India follows from late January 2027, then the 150th anniversary Test at the MCG against England in March, a precursor to the five Ashes Tests in the UK in the middle of the year.

"India's on the horizon; he'll be a key part of that," McDonald said.

"We've got New Zealand (and) South Africa before that. So, get through this rehab and then (we'll) look forward.

"He'll be back around the team hotel tomorrow and he'll be with us around the (fourth) Test match – he's an important part (of the group) and it will be good to have him around."

Lyon's presence and wisdom will no doubt be a boost for Murphy as he prepares for round two with England's Bazballers.

Ben Stokes' side went after the 25-year-old off-spinner in the third Test of the 2023 tour with his 9.3 overs at Headingley costing 49 runs. But after being left out of the drawn rain-affected Manchester Test where Australia retained the urn, Murphy bounced back in fifth Test with hauls of 2-22 and 4-110.

But three days out from Boxing Day, McDonald said selectors were still weighing up the balance of their attack. Australia will have to make at least two bowling changes in Melbourne with captain Pat Cummins joining Lyon on the sidelines for the rest of the series as part of his management plan.

McDonald hinted a four-man pace attack could again be an option at the MCG, with selectors having nailed that call in Brisbane when Michael Neser was included at the expense of Lyon for the pink-ball Test and took five wickets in the second innings.

Spin has played dwindling role across the past six Australian summers, falling from an average of 110 overs per Test in 2019-20 to just 44 overs per Test so far this series.

That trend is also evident at the MCG where spin accounted for 58 of the 314 overs bowled (18 per cent) in the one Sheffield Shield match played there this season, down from 132 overs (39 per cent) on average in 2017-18 and 84 overs (24 per cent) in 2021-22, the same summer as the last Ashes Down Under.

But Lyon and Travis Head played a crucial role with three final day wickets between them in last year's thrilling fourth Test triumph over India after the pitch was baked by 36-degree heat on day one.

While Boxing Day (December 26) is set to be significantly cooler this year, the temperature will rise throughout the match with 29C and 34C forecast for days three and four respectively.

"Todd's been an important part of key overseas series," McDonald said.

"He played in the last Ashes back in 2023. He's faced this opponent … he's got that experience under his belt.

"We feel as though Todd's back to his best.

"He had a couple of years where, by his own admission, he wasn't probably performing to his best but he also was carrying a shoulder injury.

"I spoke to Toddy this morning; (I'm) really excited for him to be back around the group. We've got some decisions to make: Do we play spinner? Don't we play spinner? We'll work through that."

Murphy, who played his last Test in Sri Lanka earlier this year, edged out Tasmania's Matt Kuhnemann and West Australian Corey Rocchiccioli to replace Lyon in the squad and will play his first Test on Australian soil if given the nod on Boxing Day.

The off-spinner has 10 wickets at an average of 23.70 for the Vics this Shield season and featured against England Lions in Brisbane earlier this month, taking three wickets, including that of touring Test squad member Jacob Bethell.

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (fourth Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue