Key Points

Nathan Lyon didn’t hold back in criticizing England’s approach during the dramatic Manchester Test against India. He questioned why England allowed Jadeja and Sundar to reach centuries instead of pushing for a win. Lyon also took a swipe at flat pitches, advocating for more balanced conditions in the upcoming Ashes. Additionally, he weighed in on Bazball’s evolution, noting its shift toward smarter gameplay.

Key Points: Nathan Lyon Slams England Over Manchester Test Drama With India

  • Lyon calls out England for allowing Jadeja and Sundar centuries in Manchester
  • Criticizes flat pitches, demands competitive Ashes wickets
  • Analyzes Bazball's shift from recklessness to strategic play
  • Stokes and Jadeja's heated exchange caught on stump mic
3 min read

Get them out, don't let them get hundred: Nathan Lyon slams England for drama in Manchester

Australia's Nathan Lyon criticizes England's tactics and pitches while analyzing Bazball's evolution ahead of the Ashes.

"Get them out. Don’t let them get a hundred. – Nathan Lyon"

Melbourne, July 29

Australia's seasoned frontline off-spinner Nathan Lyon weighed in on the dramatic scenes that unfolded in the fourth Test between India and England in Manchester last week.

In the final moments of Day 5, emotions boiled over after India fought with every ounce of strength to keep the series alive courtesy of Ravindra Jadeja's (107*) and Washington Sundar's (101*) gritty 203-run unbeaten partnership, which kept the 1-2 scoreline intact.

With the draw looming large, England captain Ben Stokes went to the Indian pair to offer his hand to call the end of the contest. With Jadeja on 89 and Sundar on 80, the southpaws refused to accept it. Shortly after the drama, England bowled, tossed up, and delivered through Harry Brook, and Jadeja dispatched the ball for a maximum to bring up his fifth Test century.

A statement from Stokes was caught on the stump mic as he said, "Jaddu, do you want to get a Test 100 against Brook & Duckett?" Jadeja responded to the English skipper's comment and said, "What do you want me to do, just walk off?" Zak Crawley, who stood close to the crease, chipped in, saying: "You can, just shake your hand."

Lyon had a simple message for England and said, as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald, "Get them out. Don't let them get a hundred."

The ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy has been nothing short of a batter's haven. Some of the Australian players have been closely monitoring the events, with the Ashes four months away from commencement.

Lyon is one of those and dissected the way the Tests have been played on English soil. The 37-year-old batted for more competitive pitches to be used in the Ashes with a thinly veiled jibe at the one used for the fourth Test in Manchester last week.

"So it's going to be challenging for their batters and challenging for our batters. That's the way cricket should be, you want to see competition between bat and ball. I think that's crucial, and all the fans, that's what they want to see, they don't really want to watch what happened over in Manchester last week," Lyon said.

The fourth Test in Manchester ended in a draw, courtesy of a batting masterclass from Ravindra Jadeja (108*) and Washington Sundar (101*). Lyon's assessment wasn't limited to the strips but also the evolution of 'Bazball'.

The term 'Bazball' has been used extensively since Brendon McCullum took over as the head coach in 2022 to define England's brand of cricket. Lyon, who has had the firsthand experience of playing against it, feels that Bazball has transformed from being "reckless" to identifying the match-winning blueprints.

"I think Bazball has changed a little bit, they're now honestly talking about ways of how to win games and not being too reckless. But the conditions over here, it's always been a great competition between bat and ball, and that's the way Australia's produced wickets like that," he said.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As a neutral observer, I think both sides have valid points. England could have bowled better, but Jadeja's century celebration was a bit excessive when the match was already drawn. Sportsmanship goes both ways.
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Ananya R
Typical Aussie mentality - always telling others how to play! But gotta agree with Lyon this time 😄 England's Bazball approach is entertaining but sometimes lacks common sense. Our boys played brilliantly under pressure!
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Vikram M
The real issue is these flat pitches! As Lyon said, we need better balance between bat and ball. Watching Jadeja and Sundar bat was amazing, but Test cricket needs more variety in conditions.
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Kavya N
England's sportsmanship was questionable here. First they tried to deny our players centuries, then complained when they achieved it! Jadeja's response was perfect - "What do you want me to do, just walk off?" 😂
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Michael C
As an England fan, I must say Lyon's comments are spot on. We can't expect teams to just gift us wins or centuries. The better team on the day was India, and they deserved those hundreds fair and square.

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