New Delhi, Dec 8 (IANS) Steve Smith explained Australia’s choice to exclude Nathan Lyon from their commanding eight-wicket victory over England in Brisbane, saying the extra batting gave the balance they were looking for and the absence was not linked to his abilities at all.

Lyon, who has claimed 562 wickets in red-ball cricket at the international level, was unexpectedly left out of team for the pink-ball Ashes Test.

Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, and Neser claimed 19 of England’s 20 wickets convincingly during the match, with the only exception being Josh Inglis’ spectacular run-out of Ben Stokes. Batting all-rounder Cam Green bowled 13 overs but did not take any wickets.

“It could have gone a few different ways, and it’s certainly nothing against Nathan. He’s a freak. He’s 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,” Smith said post-match.

“(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.”

The selectors included bowling all-rounder Michael Neser as a fifth seam bowler, marking the first time since 2012 that Australia’s all-time leading off-spinner would miss a home Test, a decision Lyon said left him “absolutely filthy.”

When asked how he felt not being selected in the playing XI on the day the Gabba Test began, Lyon had said, “Absolutely filthy. To be honest I haven’t really sat down with ‘Ronnie’ [McDonald] or George yet. I’m letting things settle down in my own head and trying to make sure that I’m doing whatever I can to make sure the guys out in the middle representing Australia do the right thing and get the right result for us.”

“I’m not the first player to miss a Test match and I won’t be the last. I’m obviously pretty gutted because I know the role that I can play within Australian cricket and especially at a venue like this. Extremely disappointed, but I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure these guys get up,” he added.

–IANS

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