Why Nathan Lyon was behind the lights going out in Adelaide that sparked wild conspiracy theories
Nathan Lyon has confirmed his involvement in the surprising power outages 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 in to 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 day one at The Gabba, but Australia can make India pay when play resumes.
During the delay, Lyon made the revelation that he was behind the power outage at Adelaide Oval in the previous Test that had caused mass hysteria.
The stadium lights went out twice in quick succession, causing confusion among players and fans alike.
The incident occurred on the first evening of the day-night Test as Australia’s batters aimed to navigate the challenging pink-ball conditions.
Australian batsman Nathan McSweeney was stunned as the floodlights went out during the second Test at Adelaide Oval
Initial speculation blamed electricity supply issues, but Lyon later admitted he inadvertently caused the disruption while seeking a practice session.
Speaking to Seven’s coverage during a rain delay at the Gabba, Lyon explained himself.
‘I was actually with our assistant coach ‘Boro’ [Andre Borovec], sitting out there in the dark, and the security guard asked us, and we said, ‘If you could put the lights on that’d be great, I need all the help I can get.’ Then next minute it went off,’ he said.
According to Lyon, the security guard inadvertently hit the wrong switch, plunging the entire stadium into darkness.
‘I literally said to Boro, ‘I reckon he’s hit the wrong switch.’ We sat out in the dark there for about 15 minutes waiting to have a hit,’ he said.
Channel 7 commentator James Brayshaw was in stitches hearing how Lyon had caused the lighting issue.
‘You said to the bloke, ‘Put the lights on in the nets so I can have a hit,’ and he hit the wrong button twice and turned the whole ground lights off,’ he said,
Lyon’s acknowledgment provided clarity amid swirling conspiracy theories, including suggestions about renewable energy failures or unpaid electricity bills.
The large LED floodlights at Adelaide Oval went out twice because the Aussie assistant coach flipped the wrong switch twice
Nathan Lyon was nightwatchman in Adelaide and wanted a hit in the nets, which led to the power outage
Adelaide Oval management dismissed these theories, attributing the event to an ‘internal switching issue.’
South Australia’s Minister for Energy and Mining, Tom Koutsantonis, also confirmed that the grid had no power supply issues.
‘I can confirm there was no lack of power supply or availability in South Australia,’ he stated.
The incident added an unusual chapter to an otherwise straightforward Test, which Australia won convincingly by 10 wickets.
Lyon, who bowled just one over and faced six balls in the match, took the blame on the chin.
‘I’ll take that one, getting blamed for someone not knowing how to turn the lights on,’ 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 allows for instant lighting, unlike traditional systems that require time to warm up.
Lyon, who boasts 532 Test wickets, is inching closer to surpassing Glenn McGrath’s tally of 563 wickets to become the second-highest wicket-taker in Australian Test history.
