UPDATE: Todd Murphy has been selected in 16-man squad, likely paving the way for him to replace Nathan Lyon as Australia's first choice spinner for the third Test, scheduled to begin July 6, at Headingley.
EARLIER: There is never a good time to lose your greatest ever off-spinner to injury, but as Nathan Lyon pulled up lame in the field at Lord's, the reality of a rapid turn-around before the third Ashes test spread worry throughout the Australian dressing room.
Closing in on 500 test wickets, Lyon was all but carried from the field by medical staff. While official diagnosis of the injury will have to wait until Friday morning UK time, the scenes on day two were bleak enough to suggest that Australia will be without their first-choice spinner for more than just the remainder of the second test.
Nathan Lyon injury update
Lyon was seen entering Lord's on crutches as Australia arrived at the venue in preparation for the start of day three - signalling that his participation in the second Test was likely over.
The official diagnosis on Lyon's condition has not been released. Vice-Captain, Steve Smith, showed strong concern for his teammate when he spoke to the press after the day two. "It didn't look good," he said.
The spinner's pain seemed both immediate and severe. He was unable to leave the field without the assistance of medical staff and appeared deeply distressed, head in hands as he rounded the boundary back to the dressing room.
MORE: Why is Nathan Lyon called 'Garry'?
Who will bowl for the rest of the Ashes Test match?
Such is the seamer-exclusive selection of England's bowling attack, Lyon's injury means the remainder of the test will be played without a single full-time spinner on either side.
The end of Lyon will not, however, mean the end of spin at Lord's; it has already claimed three wickets in the match. Joe Root picked-up both Travis Head and Cameroon Green in the first innings, before Lyon himself dismissed Zac Crawley after lunch on day two. So, with their go-to spinner sidelined for the rest of the second test, who will pick up the reins for Australia?
The answer was probably revealed in the final session of day two, when Head closed out the evening's play bowling five overs. Centurion Smith bowled just one over of his charismatic leg-spin, probably a reliable indication of the bit part role he will play with the ball going forward.
Head has proven himself as a decent part-timer, with the role he played in both Sri Lanka and at home in 2022. It goes without saying that London provides vastly different conditions to Galle and Perth, where Head took four-fer and two-fer respectively last year, but in the current state of spinning extremis, the South-Australian will be Pat Cummins's go-to man.
Who will replace Nathan Lyon in the Ashes?
With Australia highly unlikely to mirror England's bold omission of a full-time spinner, there is an obvious candidate to take Lyon's place when Australia name their side for the third Ashes test at Headingley on the 6th of July.
Todd Murphy was announced as the second spinner in Australia's 17-man Ashes squad back in April, and has been hailed as the successor to Lyon's off-spin throne when the 35 year-old eventually leaves the side.
Who is Todd Murphy?
Murphy debuted in a two-pronged spinning attack with Lyon when Australia toured India in early 2023. The series ended in a 2-1 defeat for the Aussies, but Murphy showed promise in his first test series.
The predictably spin-heavy approach meant a heavy work load for the 22 year-old. He ended the series with 14 wickets at an average of 25.21.
Murphy burst onto the scene with Victoria in 2022, taking a vital seven wickets in the win that took his home state to the Sheffield Shield final.
Todd Murphy Test record
| Matches | Innings | Overs | Wickets | Runs | Average | Economy | Strike Rate |
| 4 | 6 | 137.3 | 14 | 353 | 25.21 | 2.56 | 58.9 |
