Australia spinner Nathan Lyon made no secret of his disappointment at being dropped for the second Ashes Take a look at in Brisbane, saying he felt “filthy” and was “gutted” on the choice.
Lyon has 562 Take a look at wickets, placing him seventh all-time within the format, whereas he is third amongst Australians, trailing solely the legendary Shane Warne (708) and Glenn McGrath (563), who he is just one wicket behind.
But, the off-spinner was dropped for his first residence Take a look at since 2012, with Michael Neser picked forward of him in an all-pace assault for the day-night contest at The Gabba.
“Absolutely filthy,” Lyon mentioned in an interview with Australia’s host broadcaster Seven Community throughout day one.
“But yeah, I can’t do anything about it, so I 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.”
Lyon, who has a stellar document in pink-ball Assessments, with 43 wickets from 13 matches at a mean of 25.62, and who averages 28.82 in Assessments at The Gabba, mentioned he had but to debate the choice to drop him with selectors.
“I just hadn’t had it in me to sit down with the coach [Andrew McDonald] and George [Bailey – selectors’ chair] at the moment,” he added.
“That will happen. I’m not the first player to miss a Test match and I won’t be the last.
“However, yeah, I am clearly fairly gutted as a result of I do know the function that I can play inside Australian cricket and particularly at a venue like this.”
England went on to shut day one in Brisbane on 325-9, an innings dominated by Joe Root (135no), who remained unbeaten at stumps after notching his first Take a look at century in Australia.
Mitchell Starc once more impressed for Australia, claiming 6-71 to take his sequence tally to a staggering 16 wickets already, however the different 4 seamers – Scott Boland (1-87), Neser (1-43), Brendan Doggett (0-76) and Cameron Inexperienced (0-43) – added solely two wickets from their 55 overs mixed.
“I was amazed they left out Nathan Lyon today,” Michael Atherton mentioned on Sky Sports activities Cricket’s ‘Ashes Each day’ Podcast.
“He’s got 562 [Test] wickets, and it’s a pitch that everybody said looked much drier and less green than it had yesterday.
“It is a pitch the place England thought, ‘effectively, we want a spinner’, and but Australia are leaving Lyon out.
“I thought there were times when it looked just an okay Australian attack plus Mitchell Starc.”
Ashes sequence in Australia 2025-26
All instances UK and Eire
- First Take a look at (Perth): Australia beat England by eight wickets
- Second Take a look at (day/evening): Thursday December 4 – Monday December 8 (4am) – The Gabba, Brisbane
- Third Take a look at: Wednesday December 17 – Sunday December 21 (11.30pm) – Adelaide Oval
- Fourth Take a look at: Thursday December 25 – Monday December 29 (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Floor
- Fifth Take a look at: Sunday January 4 – Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Floor
