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“I’m expecting him to come”: Australian spinner Nathan Lyon expects Ben Stokes to make a return in Ashes 2021

Rishikesh Sharma
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Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon expects Ben Stokes to play in Ashes 2021, despite not being named in the 17-men English squad.

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon expects Ben Stokes to play in Ashes 2021, despite not being named in the 17-men English squad.

After all the dark clouds, The Ashes is finally set to get underway in December. The Gabba will host the first test, where the Australian team possesses an excellent record. However, the hero of last Ashes, Ben Stokes will not play in the series.

Ben Stokes has not played a single game since July due to a finger injury and mental health issues. He recently had a second operation on his injured finger. Although, he has started light training in England. The gun all-rounder, whose Headingley heroics are still fresh, is not a part of England’s 17 men Ashes squad.

English coach Chris Silverwood has denied putting any timeframe for the return of Ben Stokes. “there will be no pressure from me for him to rush back”, Silverwood said.

Nathan Lyon on Ben Stokes

Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon, however, expects Ben Stokes to make a late return in the Ashes.

“I’m expecting him to come,” Lyon said.

“I hope he is. You want to play against the best players in the world.

“Stokesy is the best all-rounder in the world. He’s an x-factor, a game-changer, and you want to play against these sort of players.”

Lyon is just one wicket away from completing 400 wickets in test cricket.

Nathan Lyon’s Ashes 2021 preparation

Lyon suffered a concussion fear earlier this week but is now set to feature in the upcoming Shield game against Victoria. He has not played a single competitive game since April and is preparing for the Ashes.

The off-spinner has revealed that he has been working on his fitness and some mystery balls for the upcoming Ashes.

“A couple of mystery balls, always got a couple of mystery balls,” Lyon said.

“I’ve already started looking at a couple of England’s batters, so that’s exciting.”

Nathan Lyon has scalped 85 wickets against England in test games, which includes two 5-wicket hauls.

About the author

Rishikesh Sharma

Rishikesh Sharma

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An engineering graduate and an ardent sports fan, Rishikesh Sharma is covering cricket for three years now after not making peace with a corporate life and has written more than 5000 articles. While Sourav Ganguly made him fall in love with the sport, Brendon McCullum and Gautam Gambhir enhanced it. Apart from cricket, Rishikesh is a huge fan of Liverpool FC. When not watching sports, you will find him riding around Jaipur.

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