Overview:
Lyon was not pleased at being dropped for the second Test, making it the first time he missed a Test at home since 2012.
Australia’s captain for the first two Ashes Tests, Steve Smith, is hoping that the five wickets by Michael Neser in the second Test will silence the conversation surrounding the decision to drop Nathan Lyon. Neser picked up five wickets in the second innings, registering figures of 5/42.
He played a key role in England’s collapse on Day 4 after resistance from skipper Ben Stokes and Will Jacks. Following his impressive performance, Smith hoped that the five-wicket haul would end the criticism he is receiving for benching Nathan Lyon. Smith lauded the pacer for dismissing batters and keeping things tight.
“He was superb and did a wonderful job for us. We could have gone in a different way, but there is nothing against Nathan. He has been our spinner for a long time. Michael offers something different. The keeper can come up, and we can bowl a stump line to keep things tight,” Smith said.
“Nathan would have played a similar role. I know he is not a spinner but a similar role, and he extended our batting, which we thought would be crucial,” he added.
Lyon was not pleased at being dropped for the second Test, making it the first time he missed a Test at home since 2012. The hosts went in with an all pace attack, which surprised many former players and fans, particularly as captain Smith spoke in favour of additional pacers to take advantage of the pink ball in the day-night Test.
The move was justified by Neser, who claimed six wickets in the match and didn’t allow the rival batters to settle down, especially in the second innings. Australia won the second Test by eight wickets to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.