'Exceptional circumstances' behind Lyon's exclusion, says Australia selector Dodemaide

Nathan Lyon's shock omission for the final Test against West Indies at Sabina Park was based on "exceptional circumstances" created by the pink-ball day-night encounter, but Australia selector Tony Dodemaide admitted that Lyon had been disappointed by the decision.

Aside from the three Tests he was injured for in the 2023 Ashes, Lyon has been ever present in the side since the 2013 tour of England when he was initially overlooked in favour of Ashton Agar. He claimed six wickets in Grenada leaving him one behind Glenn McGrath's tally of 563 as the second-most for Australia in Tests.

Dodemaide said the call "didn't come naturally for everybody" but further examination of the limited data available from pink-ball Dukes matches, evidence from Australia's training sessions, and the fact daylight goes quickly had persuaded them spin would play a limited role.

"It's something that wasn't front of mind, certainly a difficult [decision], but we thought the exceptional circumstances justified having the four quicks so that we could rotate those guys and keep the pressure on," Dodemaide said. "On a well-grassed surface and a hard surface with lots of night time play hours, that was the best way to win the game."

Dodemaide also referenced the 2018 pink-ball Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka in Barbados which was played with a Dukes and saw the spinners have very limited impact. However, for this match the home side recalled their frontline spinner Jomel Warrican in place of seamer Anderson Phillip. Overall in pink-ball Tests, Lyon has 43 wickets at 25.62.

"But the key in here is it's a conditions-based decision to go with the four quicks," Dodemaide said. "What we found here with the limited data that we have on particularly the pink Dukes ball… [is] that it actually behaves a little differently to the Kookaburra one. It doesn't go as soft.

"The Kookaburra one tends to have a trough when it doesn't move so much in those middle overs. That's not the case with the Dukes one, the history tells us that, and that's been our live experience when we've been here for the past couple of days in terms of the practice sessions that we've had. We've seen out here in practice the last couple of days that the ball does, big ball does a lot and it's very difficult for the batters."

The last time Australia fielded an all-pace frontline attack was during the 2023 Ashes at Old Trafford when they left out Todd Murphy, using three frontline quicks alongside Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh. To find a four-pronged pace attack without a spinner goes way back to 2012 against India at the WACA.

Lyon's omission means he won't be on the field for the 100th Test of his close friend Mitchell Starc, with the pair having featured in 94 Tests together.

"They're great mates," Dodemaide said. "He's disappointed because he wants to play every game. He's a great competitor and he believes he can be effective in any conditions. But he's a team man as well and understands the right thing for the team and he'll do his best to support the guys. But it's a one-off. It's no reflection on performance for Nathan. It's simply the best way we think we can win this game."

This is Australia's first day-night Test overseas having won 12 of the 13 played at home. They were only able to get their hands on the pink Dukes balls when they arrived in Jamaica earlier this week and had one training session under lights.