Australia All Set To Drop Bowler With 562 Test Wickets, Pat Cummins Cryptically Confirms-OxBig News Network

Australia are yet to finalise their playing XI for the final Test against the West Indies in Jamaica, with captain Pat Cummins revealing that “all options” are being explored, including the possibility of leaving out veteran spinner Nathan Lyon. During the previous two Tests in Barbados and Grenada, Cummins announced the XI a day before the match during his pre-game press conference. However, with a day-night pink-ball Test scheduled to begin Saturday at Sabina Park (Sunday 4.30am AEST), Australia are opting to delay their decision.

Australia is leading the three match Test series by 2-0 having win the first test by 159 runs and second Test by 133 runs. The third test is scheduled to play from July 13.

“There are] a few more unknowns, so we just want to have another look at the wicket and give it a bit of time and work out a team later on today, I think mainly pink ball [is a consideration] and trying to get our heads around exactly what it’s going to do. That last session [under lights] might be a little bit longer than Adelaide,”  Cummins told reporters.

When asked whether Lyon might be excluded from the final XI, Cummins responded, “I mean, yeah, I think everything’s an option.”

“We honestly haven’t settled on it. We all left yesterday and thought we’d just sleep on it, come back and have a look and make up our mind today,” he added.

Despite the speculation, Australia are likely to retain the same XI that has comfortably won the first two Tests.

If a bold call is made and Lyon is left out in favour of a four-man pace attack, it would come during Mitchell Starc’s 100th Test match. Lyon, who took match figures of 6 for 117 in Grenada, has an impressive pink-ball average of 25.62 compared to 30.52 with the red ball. However, in Australia’s most recent day-night Test against India last December in Adelaide, Lyon bowled only one over. Should he miss out, Scott Boland is the likely candidate to join the pace trio of Cummins, Starc, and Josh Hazlewood. All-rounder Beau Webster also provides a seam and spin option.

The last time Lyon was not selected for a Test match was during the 2013 Ashes series.

When asked how Lyon might take the news if he were dropped, Cummins said, “I mean, it’s all hypothetical here. I think everyone here has a pretty good track record of doing whatever the team needs and being really excited for the guys that play.