The decision to drop Nathan Lyon on Australian soil for the first time in nearly 14 years has come under scrutiny as England took control of Day 1 of the second Ashes Test.
Australia didn’t confirm their XI until the toss on Thursday, with the hosts making two changes to the team from the series opener.
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Josh Inglis came in to the middle order to replace Usman Khawaja, with Travis Head staying on as opener after his matchwinning century in Perth.
Pat Cummins was very close to returning from his back injury, but the Australians erred on the side of caution and will save him for the third Test in Adelaide, leaving Steve Smith to continue as captain.
But in a surprising move the selectors omitted Lyon, opting for a four-pronged pace attack with Queenslander Michael Neser coming in for his third career Test match to play alongside Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett.
Lyon bowled just two overs in Australia’s frenetic two-day victory in the first Test in Perth, and the day-night conditions with the pink ball at the Gabba prompted selectors to leave him out in favour of a pace bowler.
READ MORE: 2nd Ashes Test Day 1 live blog
The offspinner was left out of Australia’s pink-ball Test in the West Indies earlier this year, but this is the first time he’s been left out of a test on home soil since January 2012.
Lyon has played 140 Tests in his career and has taken 561 wickets, two behind Glenn McGrath on the list of Australia’s all-time Test wicket-takers.
The 38-year-old didn’t look thrilled watching on from the Australian changerooms, but was seen running drinks as Starc wreaked havoc early, dismissing Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope cheaply.
The absence of Cummins, Lyon and Josh Hazlewood (hamstring injury) left Australia’s bowling attack looking weaker — it’s the first time in more than 12 years Australia have played a Test without that trio.
Lyon hurt, ‘absolutely filthy’ at being dropped
Rubbing salt in the would, SEN’s Tom Morris reported Lyon was hurt in the Gabba nets on Day 1 and limping back to the sheds.
Lyon was bowling to Beau Webster and was hit “flush on the ankle” when the all-rounder hit a ball back to him.
Head selector George Bailey said Lyon was not happy with the call to drop him and bring in Neser.
“Very much it’s a one Test decision, Nath will play in Adelaide,” Bailey said.
“Don’t think he agreed with it, and that’s fine.
“I think Beau Webster’s also in the same boat. That was heavily debated around whether (Josh) Inglis and Webster, Neser and Webster, all those were heavily debated.
“Nathan will disagree with the decision, and that’s perfectly OK. I think he disagreed with the decision in Jamaica, and that’s perfectly okay. I have no qualms about players feeling like they can impact the game. And the fact the matter is he could have.”
But the real division caused by the decision was only revealed when Lyon spoke to Channel 7 later in the day.
“(I’m) absolutely filthy,” he said. “But yeah, can’t do anything about it so yeah, hope I can play my role in making sure I get the guys ready and do whatever I can to make sure that we get the right result here.”
Pressed on how the conversation played out, Lyon said he was only told after arriving at the ground.
“I come to the ground as I always do pretty early, about 12pm and found out about 12.30,” he said.
“(The conversation was) short … To be honest I haven’t really sat down with Ronnie (coach Andrew McDonald) or George yet. I’m letting things settle down in my own head and trying to make sure that I’m, as I said, doing whatever I can to make sure the guys out in the middle representing Australia do the right thing and get the right result for us.”
“The communication is always there, I just hadn’t had it in me to sit down with the coach and George at the moment,” he added. “So that will happen. I’m not the first player to miss a Test match and I won’t be the last. But yeah, obviously pretty gutted because I know the role that I can play within Australian cricket and especially a venue like this. Extremely disappointed but I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure these guys are up.”
Neser broke through after the tea break, dismissing Zak Crawley for 76 when the opener miscued a pull shot, tickling an edge through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Neser and Doggett, who kept his place in the side, didn’t looking particularly threatening with the pink ball and Carey kept up to the stumps when Neser was bowling.
As Crawley and Joe Root steadied the ship for England to be 2/98 at the tea break, the lack of variety with the softening pink ball began to show as the visitors kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Brett Lee said he was “shocked” by Lyon’s omission, while Mark Waugh said he was “surprised” the veteran was left out of the team.
“It’s always nice to have a spinner and a different option, that’s what they usually do in Test cricket so I’m a little bit shocked,” Lee said on Kayo Sports’ live Ashes coverage.
“We’re going to be seeing overs from Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne if England get away here,” Kerry O’Keeffe said.
“I can’t agree with the non-selection of a spinner on a dry Australian pitch.
“I know it’s a day-nighter with the pink ball, but I just can’t come to terms with it, I’m sorry.”
“Interesting selection with no Nathan Lyon,” Waugh added.
“Australia has five legitimate fast bowlers, and I’m counting Cameron Green there, so there is a lot of the same kind of bowling.
“I just wonder whether not having that variety will come back to bite them in this game.
“It affects the balance of the team. It might work out for them, but I can’t help but think they’ve overworked their quick bowlers here, and especially if (Cam) Green is good to go and the word is he can bowl as many overs as we need him to bowl.
“I just think it was an unnecessary change in the bowling line-up.”
“He hasn’t been utilised a huge amount, he wasn’t really needed in Perth,” Michael Vaughan said.
“It’s a big call, the conditions are hot, the pitch looks a good one, generally you want a slow-bowling option in Brisbane.”
“All the chips are on an Australian victory here to go 2-0 up in the series and then normal transmission may resume,” O’Keeffe said. “It’s risky.”
England made one change to their team, selecting spinning all-rounder Will Jacks to replace the injured Mark Wood, with spinner Shoaib Bashir overlooked.
Former Australian captain Allan Border described Lyon’s non-selection as “controversial”.
“You’ve got a guy with 500 Test wickets. He might get a few for you,” Border said on Kayo Sports’ coverage.
“And he always bowls tight. I’m a little surprised. I think we’re a bit stacked with the faster bowling.”
Lyon has taken 52 wickets at an average of 28 at the Gabba throughout his career.
It was a bad toss to lose for Smith, who would have been hoping to control the game and have Australia bowling in the evening session.
“Pink ball, we think it’s going to offer quite a bit, particularly later on under lights,” Smith said, explaining the selections.
“With no daylight savings here, you play in the night a lot.
“We thought that’s going to be the best (team) to take 20 wickets in this particular fixture.”
