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  • Mark Waugh Reacts To Nathan Lyons Shock Exclusion From 2Nd Australia Vs South Africa Test

Mark Waugh Reacts To Nathan Lyon’s Shock Exclusion From 2nd Australia vs South Africa Test

Akshita Patel

Mark Waugh Reacts To Nathan Lyon’s Shock Exclusion [Source: AFP]Mark Waugh Reacts To Nathan Lyon’s Shock Exclusion [Source: AFP]

In a shocking decision, Australia dropped veteran spinner Nathan Lyon from the second Test vs South Africa. However, former cricketer Mark Waugh agreed with the call despite backlash from the fans.

Notably, Australia dropped Lyon to play a 4-pacer lineup vs South Africa. Scott Boland replaced the spinner with Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood completing the bowling attack.

Mark Waugh backs Scott Boland over Nathan Lyon

Interestingly, Nathan Lyon, who has more than 550 Test wickets to his name, was dropped for the second time in less than a year. Both times, Australia wanted to accommodate an extra fast bowler as per playing conditions' demands.

Meanwhile, despite uproar amongst fans, former cricketer Mark Waugh justified the decision. Speaking to Fox Sports, he said that while the call is tough on Lyon, respecting the conditions is equally important.

“It’s tough on Lyon, but it’s a fair call. Would South Africa rather face Nathan Lyon or Scott Boland? They’d say Lyon ... if the conditions suit, he (Boland) should be playing,” Waugh said.

Waugh added that South Africa would probably prefer to face Nathan Lyon rather than Scott Boland when the conditions favour fast bowling. Therefore, he felt Boland deserved his place in the team.

Scott Boland immediately makes an impact

To add salt to Nathan Lyon's wounds, Scott Boland justified his selection by picking up 2 wickets on a rain-hit opening day of the second Test vs South Africa. He dismissed Aiden Markram and David Bedingham, thus reducing the Proteas to 12/2.

Meanwhile, Steve O'Keeffe, ex-Australian spinner, empathised with Lyon, saying that Boland’s wickets would have hurt him. Unlike Waugh, Steve disagreed with Australia’s strategy of not playing a spinner.

“Boland takes his wickets at 12 in the final innings. It’ll hurt me. It’ll hurt Nathan Lyon, but that’s why. I hate it. I completely disagree with them not picking a spinner, let alone a spinner with 550 wickets. If I’m him (Lyon), I’m probably even more livid than I was when I was (left out) in Australia,” O'Keeffe said.

For now, Nathan Lyon, who was earlier dropped from the pink-ball Ashes Test in 2025, faces a snub yet again. It clearly shows that the management is prioritising conditions and the balance of the bowling attack over reputation alone.