Why Nathan Lyon was behind the lights going out in Adelaide that sparked wild conspiracy theories
Nathan Lyon has confirmed his involvement in the surprise power cuts at the Adelaide Oval during the second Test match between Australia and India last week.
Australia are 0-28 from 13.2 overs after India won the toss and sent them into bat in the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, with Usman Khawaja (19) and Nathan McSweeney (4) at the crease.
Rain threatens to wash out the rest of the first day at The Gabba, but Australia can make India pay when play resumes.
During the postponement, Lyon revealed he was behind the power outage at Adelaide Oval during the previous Test, which had caused mass hysteria.
The stadium lights went out twice in quick succession, causing confusion for players and fans alike.
The incident took place on the first night of the day-night Test as the Australian batters tried to navigate the challenging pink-ball conditions.
Australian batsman Nathan McSweeney was stunned when the floodlights went out during the second Test at Adelaide Oval
Former Aussie batsman Aaron Finch, Lyon and Channel 7 commentator James Brayshaw laugh at the offspinner’s involvement in the blackout
It was initially speculated that there were problems with the electricity supply, but Lyon later admitted that he had accidentally caused the disruption while looking for a practice session.
Speaking to Seven’s reporting during a rain delay at the Gabba, Lyon explained himself.
‘I was actually with our assistant coach ‘Boro’ [Andre Borovec]as we were sitting there in the dark, and the security guard asked us, and we said, ‘If you could turn on the lights, that would be great, I need all the help I can get.’ The next minute it went off,” he said.
According to Lyon, the security guard accidentally pressed the wrong switch, plunging the entire stadium into darkness.
‘I literally said to Boro: ‘I think he’s pressed the wrong switch.’ “We sat there in the dark for about 15 minutes waiting for a hit,” he said.
Channel 7 commentator James Brayshaw was in trouble when he heard how Lyon had caused the lighting problem.
“You said to the guy, ‘Turn on the lights in the nets so I can get a hit,’ and he pressed the wrong button twice and turned off the whole ground lights,” he said,
Lyon’s recognition provided clarity amid swirling conspiracy theories, including suggestions about the failure of renewable energy or unpaid electricity bills.
The large LED floodlights at Adelaide Oval went out twice because the Australian assistant coach flipped the wrong switch twice
Nathan Lyon was a night watchman in Adelaide and wanted a goal in the nets, which led to the power outage
Adelaide Oval management dismissed these theories, attributing the event to an ‘internal switching problem’.
South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis also confirmed the grid was not experiencing any power supply issues.
“I can confirm that there was no lack of power supply or availability in South Australia,” he stated.
The incident added an unusual chapter to an otherwise simple Test, which Australia won convincingly by 10 wickets.
Lyon, who only threw one over and conceded six balls in the match, were blamed.
“I’ll take that one because I get blamed for someone not knowing how to turn on the lights,” Lyon joked.
Despite the drama, the lights were quickly restored thanks to the stadium’s $5 million LED upgrade, completed in 2023.
The LED system provides instant lighting, unlike traditional systems that take time to warm up.
Lyon, who have 532 Test wickets, are closing in on surpassing Glenn McGrath’s tally of 563 wickets to become the second-highest wicket-taker in Australian Test history.