Follow UsNathan Lyon has not missed even a single Test without getting injured since 2013, when Ashton Agar was preferred over him in the Ashes in England. Otherwise, the only set of Tests he missed were three during the 2023 Ashes in England due to injury.
However, on July 12 (Saturday), he had to sit out the third Test against West Indies in the three-match series. Missing the Sabina Park Test in Jamaica was due to exceptional circumstances, according to Australia selector Tony Dodemaide.
Since it is a Day-Night Test, the role of a spinner is limited, and it was clearly visible on Day 1 of the Test as well that all 10 wickets in the Australian innings were taken by the pacers of the West Indian side. This was even after Jomel Warrican came back into the side in place of Anderson Phillip.
"It's something that wasn't front of mind, certainly a difficult [decision], but we thought the exceptional circumstances justified having the four quicks so that we could rotate those guys and keep the pressure on,” Dodemaide explained about Lyon’s selection call, as quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
“On a well-grassed surface and a hard surface with lots of nighttime play hours, that was the best way to win the game,” he added.
Scott Boland replaced Lyon in the playing 11, and Dodemaide said that it was not a reflection on Lyon’s performance, who has taken 562 wickets in 139 Tests and is just a wicket behind Glenn McGrath as the second highest wicket-taker for Australia in Tests.
“It's a one-off. It's no reflection on the performance of Nathan. It's simply the best way we think we can win this game,” he said.