New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) Former Australia captain Mark Taylor feels it won’t come as a surprise if veteran spinner Nathan Lyon is left out of the playing eleven for the first Ashes Test, starting on November 21 in Perth.

Though Lyon is on the cusp of making his 140th Test appearance, Taylor thinks he could be sidelined if the Australian think tank opt for playing an all-rounder like Cameron Green to bolster the batting depth and seam bowling options.

“If Green is fit, he will play. When I say fit, I mean fit to bowl. In my sight, unfortunately Webster doesn’t play. They’ve got to get Green back into the side, but he has to bowl a few overs. Webster would be the unlucky one.”

“Don’t be surprised, though, Australia has already done this once this year, if someone like Nathan Lyon doesn’t play in the first Test,” Taylor was quoted as saying by Nine’s Wide World of Sports on Sunday.

Lyon, 37, is the all-time leading Test wicket-taker at Perth Stadium with 29 wickets coming at an average of less than 21. “The only other way they can go is by playing all their quicks and Webster and Green, then not have an off-spinner.

“They’ve got Travis Head and Beau himself bowls a few offies. They might do that for Perth, which I don’t like particularly. I think Nathan has to play, but don’t be surprised (if that is to happen),” added Taylor.

He has also called for uncapped batter Jake Weatherald to make his debut as a top order batter in the crucial first Test and felt dropping teenaged batter Sam Konstas was on the cards.

“I’m not surprised he hasn’t made the final 15. I really hope that Jake Weatherald plays. There is a lot of discussions around the batting, but I really hope he plays. I think they’ve got to start settling on an opening batting combination. Usman (Khawaja) is 39 in two weeks time, so he is not going to be playing for too much longer.

“They’ve got to get that younger (player in) – Jake is not that young, mind you, he is 31. But he has a few years left in him and he deserves that selection. So well done to him, I hope he plays at the top of the order,” concluded Taylor.

–IANS

nr/bc