Follow UsFormer Australian all-rounder Brendon Julian believes Nathan Lyon should be left out of Australia’s playing XI for the first two Ashes Tests. The series opener against England begins in Perth on November 21, followed by a day-night clash in Brisbane.
In the third and final Test against the West Indies last month - also a day-night encounter - Australia opted to leave out Lyon, instead fielding four quicks: Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Scott Boland. The move paid off spectacularly, with the WI batters dismantled for just 27 in the final innings.
In their last home day-night Test, against India in Adelaide in December 2024, Lyon bowled only a single over. Meanwhile, Boland’s Test record is extraordinary - 62 wickets at an average of 16.5, which drops to a remarkable 12.6 in home conditions.
“I think Boland will play in Perth, and I think they’ll go with four quicks in Perth and Brisbane. I don’t think Lyon will play those first two Test matches,” Julian told Fox Cricket.
“If it’s quick and bouncy in Perth, who would you rather face? Would you rather face Nathan Lyon or Scott Boland? The West Indies did it for a long, long time, they played four quicks.
“The way that Boland is bowling at the moment, he deserves a run at it, especially in a day-night Test match in Brisbane, where you may not bowl a spinner as much. And if Perth is quick and bouncy, then why not?”
Lyon, however, boasts outstanding records at both venues. In Perth, the 37-year-old has taken 29 wickets in five Tests at an average of 20.9. At The Gabba, he has claimed 52 wickets in 14 Tests, averaging 28.8.