'I have lost one of my mates due to....' - Nathan Lyon bashes Kevin Pietersen's remark suggesting Australia will look for concussion substitute

The essence of the second Ashes Test is now fading with Australia seeming to be dominating the host, England in one-way traffic. The problem that Australia might face defending 371 is the absence of their veteran spinner, Nathan Lyon. Citing this, one of the best batters of his time and former England captain Kevin Pietersen has generated a lot of discussion because of some of the statements he made while serving as a pundit for the Ashes 2023.

The Australian great Ricky Ponting has reacted angrily to some of Pietersen's comments, and he has also criticized the England team's strategy during various periods of the game. Pietersen hasn't frequently found himself in the news. The England legend may have overstepped his bounds when he said that Nathan Lyon, who was injured, only walked out to bat on Day 4 of the second Ashes Test to suffer a "concussion."

"Imagine if he (Lyon) had been hit on the head and got a concussion, he'd have got a like-for-like replacement and a world-class spinner (Murphy), based on how he performed in India, it gives food for thought," Pietersen said on Sky Sports.

After this, the ace spinner bashed the statement made by Pietersen for stating that Australia sent him to bat in the hopes of getting a concussion replacement in the event that the off-spinner is struck by a bouncer.

I think that’s a really poor conversation being had: Nathan Lyon

Lyon pointed out that after losing a buddy to a head injury, he considered this reasoning to be completely ludicrous. Lyon, who was present when a bouncer fatally shot Phillip Hughes at the SCG in 2014.

“I have heard comments that I only went out there to get hit in the head, but I’m really against that. I have lost one of my mates due to being hit in the head, so I think that’s a really poor conversation being had, if I’m honest with you,” the veteran spinner replied.

Pietersen was analyzing the game in between innings when he said that Australia sent Nathan Lyon out to bat as they would be thinking he might get concussed so they can bring in Todd Murphy as a substitute as the Australian side had to bowl in the fourth innings where spinners will play a major role.