Follow UsNathan Lyon did not know the reasons behind why he was dropped from the Gabba Test. Now that the Test has ended, stand-in captain Steve Smith has come up with the reasoning.
In the post-match press conference, as quoted by The Times of India, Smith explained Lyon’s exclusion, saying, "It could have gone a few different ways, and it's certainly nothing against Nathan. He's a freak.”
"He’s (Lyon) been our spinner for such a long time, but the extra batting and the way the tail hung in for 50 overs gave us the balance we were after," added the man, who would become deputy to Pat Cummins once again, come the third Test in Adelaide, starting December 17.
What Michael Neser, who was selected in place of Lyon, did, was nothing short of miraculous, especially when he broke the96-run and 221-ball partnership between Ben Stokes and Will Jacks.
Smith, who took the stupendous catch to give Australia and Neser the much-needed breakthrough, said, "(Neser) offers something different. We can bring the keeper up, he hits the stumps, he keeps things tight, and forces batters to take risks when the ball isn't as quick or is skidding. But it's nothing against Nathan. He's unbelievable, and he's done it for so long.”
It would be interesting to see if Neser plays the Adelaide Test or not, given that both Cummins and Lyon will be back and most likely, Neser and Doggett will have to make way for them.