Nathan Lyon reveals Pat Cummins did NOT want him to bat injured in second Ashes Test.

An ‘heartbroken’ Nathan Lyon has revealed Pat Cummins tried to dissuade him from stepping out to bat at Lord’s on Day 4 of the second Ashes Test.

Australia’s off-spinner torn a muscle in his right calf on Day 2, but bravely padded up on Saturday, hobbling to the middle to bat at No11 and managed to finish four off 13 balls as the tourists were bowled out for 279 in their second innings.

And Lyon explained his brave cameo would not have come about, had Cummins not been convinced by coach Andrew McDonald.

‘Pat originally said to wake up to myself, that I’m not going out there,’ the star off-spinner told SEN Cricket.

‘But I had a chat to Andrew McDonald and our medical team and tried to find a way that I could figure out how to go about it.

The star spinner was in agony as he hobbled to the crease and could barely move throughout his innings, but managed to add four runs to Australia’s total

‘I spent a lot of time in the physio room and in the gym upstairs here at Lord’s with a lot of tape on my leg and trying to figure out how to bat.’

On the opening day of the second Test, Australia’s star spinner became only the sixth man to play in 100 consecutive Tests and the third Australian after Allan Border and Mark Waugh with 153 and 107 Tests respectively.

Since his Test debut in August 2011, Lyon has missed only four of the 125 Tests Australia have played – against India at Perth in 2012 and Hyderabad during the tour of India in 2013.

After removing Zak Crawley on Day 2 at Lord’s, Lyon needs just four wickets to become only the third Australian after the late Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath to take 500 Test scalps.

But his availability for the remainder of the series is in serious doubt, with the 35-year-old to be replaced by Todd Murphy for the third Test at Headingley, which begins on Thursday. 

‘I’m absolutely shattered, heartbroken,’ Lyon admitted.

‘Speechless is probably the best way to put it.

‘I had a dream to win an Ashes series over here, I’ve said it publicly, privately and everything else.

England players were full of appreciation for Lyon’s effort on Day 4 at Lord’s

‘Right now to have a severe calf strain it’s disappointing, it’s heartbreaking.’

Lyon received a standing ovation at the Home of Cricket as he hobbled back to the crease on Saturday.

Unable to run between wickets given the severity of his injury, Lyon struck a boundary off Stuart Broad before skying a delivery from the England quick into Ben Stokes’ hands to conclude the Australian innings.

And the veteran bowler played down his brave contribution, insisting he would not hesitate to sacrifice himself for his team again.

Cummins did not want Lyon to go out to bat and aggravate his injury even further

The veteran spinner struck a boundary off Stuart Broad during his brave cameo

Lyon couldn’t run between the wickets such was the severity of his calf strain

‘I was just going out there and trying to do my role,’ he added.

‘There’s a lot of talk about my innings but I went out there to support my teammates.

‘That’s what I do and I’d do it again tomorrow. That’s just part of it.’

England will resume at four for 114, needing another 257 runs to win the second Test, with Ben Duckett and Stokes at the crease on 50 and 29 respectively.