Nathan Lyon opens up about his third Test fumble and how he bounced back in Manchester

Nathan Lyon had to overcome the nightmare at Headingley and an injury to his spinning finger that he compared to a ‘singer losing his voice’ before taking two key wickets in the fourth Test triumph.

Nathan Lyon soldiered on with superglue on a split to his spinning finger which robbed him of any feeling as he tried to bowl Australia to victory at Old Trafford in the fourth Test.

The split, on a callus on his finger, opened up during England’s first Test innings of the fourth Test, likely after Australia’s third-most prolific wicket-taker was called to operate with a relatively new Dukes ball – with the pronounced seam leading to cuts as spinners grip the ball.

Lyon returned figures of 0/89 as Australia’s seamers did the damage to give Australia a 197-run first innings lead – but the concern for Lyon was heightened in the second innings when the wound was picked up by television cameras.

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Nathan Lyon reacts after his third Test blunder. Picture: AP Photo

Lyon had applied superglue to the split in an attempt to harden up the callus – a tactic he’s employed in India previously when also being asked to bowl with a new ball.

It allowed him to continue to grip the ball, but took away the feeling in his spinning finger which Lyon explained was like “a singer losing the vocals”.

“I can’t feel it to be honest,” Lyon said of his superglued digit.

“I split my finger in the first innings but in Test cricket you have to find a way to compete.

“It’s probably like a singer losing the vocals.”

On Sunday, Lyon put the pain to one side and bowled 28 overs on a gruelling day as Australia chased a victory which would retain the Ashes on English soil for the first time in 18 years.

Lyon’s control – so often his greatest asset – deserted him as he too often bowled too straight. But he persevered and dug deep every time he was called on by skipper Tim Paine.

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In his third over after lunch, Lyon got a delivery to spit out of the rough and take the glove of Joe Denly.

Denly had been at the crease for just shy of three hours, but was caught by surprise by the extra bounce and could only fend to Marnus Labuschagne at short leg and be out for 53.

Lyon would add the scalp of Jofra Archer as Australia’s bowlers shared the spoils in a gripping final day.

“I was pretty proud of that bowling effort, to take 20 wickets on that pitch,” Lyon said.

“Right now it probably hasn’t sunk in to be honest but as a kid growing up – and as soon as I got my baggy green - the biggest goal in my career has been to win the Ashes away.

“We’re 2-1 up and I want to go 3-1 up and when we hold the urn up at The Oval, it’s going to be an amazing feeling.”

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The result would have been of immense relief to Lyon after the devastation of missing the run out at Headingley which would have wrapped up the Ashes after the third Test.

Those bad memories were being consigned to a place in his mind he would never again have to visit.

The Old Trafford crowd reminded Lyon for two days about the fumble that let Jack Leach survive in Leeds amid Ben Stokes’ winning onslaught.

Some personal sadness also put his Headingley error in perspective, and the 90-Test star knows that cricket’s a “game”.

But the competitor in him that has reaped 359 Test wickets, fewer than only two other Australians in history, ensured his mistake hurt.

“As a professional sportsman, you want to go out there and compete and win every game you play,” he said. “But mistakes are going to happen and it’s all about the way you bounce back.

“You’re devastated. I wear my heart on my sleeve and playing cricket for Australia means everything for me. It’s not about personal success for me.

Nathan Lyon after Australia’s fourth Test victory. Picture: AFP Photo

“I didn’t mean to drop the run out or anything like that but I had him (Stokes) plumb (lbw) next ball. That’s just the game of cricket.

“You have to pick yourself up and it’s just the way you bounce back.”