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Nathan Lyon is making every effort to return in time for Australia’s first Test against Bangladesh, but his place in the playing eleven is still not confirmed. He has recovered well from a serious hamstring injury but still needs to prove his fitness before Australia makes a final decision.
The Australian national cricket team will begin its two-match Test series against Bangladesh in Darwin on August 13. Lyon is desperate to return to the field, but the national selectors and the medical team do not want to rush him before they are completely satisfied with the senior bowler’s recovery. Recently Nathan Lyon made a shocking comment on Ben Stokes.
Nathan Lyon returns, final fitness test to be conducted before Bangladesh series
Nathan Lyon suffered a hamstring injury during the third Ashes Test in December 2025. Since then, the veteran bowler has spent several months working on his rehabilitation. Earlier this month, the off-spinner seemed quite confident about his comeback after the hard work he put in in his recovery. He also made it clear that he still wants to play every Test match for Australia.
However, things are not that simple. It is being said that Nathan Lyon still needs to pass some important fitness tests before he is given the green light to return to action. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald has also said Lyon is moving in the right direction, but there are still some boxes to be ticked.
Andrew MacDonald was quoted by Code Sports as saying: “The information about Nathan at this stage is positive; he’s still got a bit of work to do, at the end of the preparation for that Test series. He seemed relatively optimistic that he’ll be available. So, we’ve got camps coming up in July, so we’ll see him there in front of us. So, at this stage, there’s no news to say he won’t be available, but he has a bit of a knack for high-speed running, given the demands of Test cricket. Be prepared for that, so we’ll just wait and see if he can pull it off.
Australia won’t rush despite positive recovery from Nathan Lyon’s injury
The head coach is not worried about Lyon’s bowling as he knows his experience and skills are as sharp as ever, but he is only concerned 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 all goes well, Lyon is expected to lead the spin attack against Bangladesh.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a question of skill with Nathan,” McDonald said. “I think it’s going to be around his body and if he’s able to be ready for the first Test match, and if he’s not ready, there’s still a number of Test matches to come after that.”
So, it would mean that the medical team has decided that they are respecting the surgery, and there are a lot of Test matches after that.
Australia includes Todd Murphy, Matt Kuhnman as backup plan
However, if Nathan Lyon is not fully fit, Australia has already prepared a backup option. Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnman will both train with the team in camp.
McDonald signed off by saying, “Todd will be a part of that (training) group, and so will Matthew Kuhnman, so he’ll be there for his preparation as well.”
Whenever Kuhnman has played for Australia, he has performed brilliantly. The left-arm spinner has taken 25 wickets in just five Test matches and has played a big role in the famous wins in India and Sri Lanka. Murphy has also made a strong impression with 22 wickets in seven Test matches and many believe he is the front-runner to replace Lyon for the Bangladesh Tests if needed.
Australia is taking extra precautions due to the long and challenging season ahead. Bangladesh series is just the beginning. Next year, Australia are 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 will be 21 Tests.