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Lyon, who’s Australia’s third-highest wicket-taker in Tests, was dropped from the playing XI for the continued second Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series in Brisbane.
Nathan Lyon dropped from Australia’s playing XI for 2nd Test. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Nathan Lyon is Australia’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He also tops the list of bowlers with probably the most wickets within the World Test Championship (WTC) and is second within the list of bowlers with probably the most wickets in Day-Night Test matches, but despite his outstanding numbers, for the second pink ball match in a row, he failed to search out a spot in Australia’s playing XI. Just like the D/N Test against the West Indies in Kingston in July 2025, Australian team management and selectors decided to go together with a four-man pace attack within the second Test of the continued Ashes series against England in Brisbane. The Australian team management decision to depart Lyon out of the playing XI got here as a shock for the premier spinner, and in contrast to last time, he’s disenchanted with the exclusion.
During an interview with Channel 7 during Day 1’s play of the Brisbane Test, Lyon did not hide his anger when asked about his exclusion from the playing XI.
In keeping with the 38-year-old, who did not take even one wicket within the series opener played at Optus Stadium in Perth last month, he came upon about his snub half-hour after arriving at the bottom.
“Yeah, I came upon, I come to ground, as I at all times do, pretty early, about 12 o’clock, and came upon about 12.30.”
When asked about his conversation with chief selector Bailey concerning the axe, Lyon said, “Absolutely filthy. But yeah, can’t do anything about it. So, yeah, I hope I can play my role in ensuring I get the fellows ready and do whatever I can to make certain that we get the fitting result here.”
“To be honest I haven’t really sat down with Ronnie (Andrew McDonald) or George yet. I’m letting things quiet down in my very own head and attempting to make certain that I’m, as I said, doing whatever I can to make certain the fellows out in the center representing Australia do the fitting thing and get the fitting result for us.”
“The communication is at all times there; I just hadn’t had it in me to sit down down with the coach and George in the meanwhile,” he added.
🚨 Nathan Lyon talks about his omission 🚨He takes us through his day, what he’s feeling at once, and the conversations he’s had with the Australian brains trust…#Ashes pic.twitter.com/usdO45gShZ
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 4, 2025
“So that may occur. I’m not the primary player to miss a Test match and I won’t be the last, but obviously I’m pretty gutted because I do know the role that I can play inside Australian cricket, especially at a venue like this. So yeah, extremely disenchanted, but as I said, I’ll do whatever I even have to do to make certain these guys are up.”
As Lyon’s substitute, Australian team management included pacer Michael Neser within the playing XI, and Josh Inglis got here in for Usman Khawaja. The wicketkeeper-batter will bat in the center order, with Travis Head set to proceed as opener after his heroics with the bat within the second innings of the Perth Test.
Click here so as to add News18 as your selected news source on Google. December 04, 2025, 22:31 IST
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