BEN McCLELLAN: Nathan Lyon being dumped for second Ashes Test a major shock after years of loyalty to veteran

An often-forgotten chapter of the most dramatic Ashes Test in living memory at Lord’s in 2023 was the courage Nathan Lyon showed when he batted despite suffering a serious calf injury in the first innings.

If not for the controversial Jonny Bairstow dismissal — which sparked a war of words about the “spirit of cricket” and drove a chasm between England and Australia that appeared would never be resolved except by way of a treaty — Lyon’s four runs in the second innings (when he could barely walk) would be the most talked-about performance of that match and possibly the series.

Australia won the second Test by just 43 runs.

Lyon was inconsolable in the dressing room after he was injured on day two and flew home to Australia, taking no further part in the 2-2 series draw.

The 140-Test veteran embodies everything the Baggy Green is about: a tough, uncompromising competitor who likes a laugh but never takes a backward step.

His unwavering dedication to his teammates and country has made him a staple of the Australian Test squad — until now.

His omission from the second Test team was a shock move no one saw coming.

Sure, there was plenty of talk Australia might opt for Michael Neser on his home deck with the pink ball over Brendan Doggett and instead of bringing Pat Cummins back.

But no expected Australian selectors would leave the nation’s most successful off-spinner on the bench — especially after England corrected their own mistake in the first Test by replacing injured paceman Mark Wood with spinning all-rounder Will Jacks.

Lyon, whose place in the side has often been questioned over the years but who always rises to the occasion when Australia needs him, has now been dropped twice this year for day-night Tests after an uninterrupted run of 100 consecutive Tests until his 2023 injury.

The only other time Australia didn’t play him on home soil was way back in 2012 at the WACA.

The decision to leave him out of the starting XI — especially given the Gabba looked drier than most pundits expected, and Lyon is handy with the pink ball — is even more curious.

Lyon has a pink ball bowling average of 25 and an average at the Gabba of 28.31, with 51 wickets in 13 Tests and best figures of 7-152.

Usman Khawaja’s back injury gave selectors the cover they needed to usher in what looks like a changing of the guard by promoting Travis Head to opener and continuing to blood Josh Inglis in the middle order.

The Lyon omission has no such cover, and selectors will be squarely in the frame if Australia’s pace bowlers fail to get the job done over the next few days — hopefully more than two.

With no spin bowler really threatening to take his place, Lyon would be expected to return for the third Test in Adelaide unless more is at play than we know within the Australian squad.

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said leaving Lyon out was a “really tough call to make”.

“He (Lyon) did only bowl those two overs in Perth. This is Michael Neser’s home ground and he knows the conditions really, really well,” Ponting told Channel Seven.

“But for someone like Nathan Lyon who is such a seasoned professional with a good record at the Gabba, I think it’s a massive call for the Aussies to make.”

Ponting’s fellow commentator and long-time Australian teammate Simon Katich said he was “shocked” Lyon had been overlooked.

English great Stuart Broad said the axing would not have gone down well with the 38-year-old.

“I can’t believe it... I’m really surprised by it. If I was Nathan Lyon right now, I’d be quite frustrated,” he told Seven viewers

And stand-in skipper Steve Smith’s explanation for why Lyon was out will not fill his longtime teammate with much confidence.

“Pink ball, we think it’s going to offer quite a bit, particularly later on under lights,” he said.

“We feel that (four quicks) is going to be the best to take 20 wickets in this particular fixture.”