Brisbane. Australia’s decision to drop experienced spinner Nathan Lyon from the Brisbane Test made it easier for England opener Zak Crawley to bat. Crawley admitted that facing an all-out fast bowling attack helped him find his rhythm.
Australia missed the Lions on several occasions on the first day of the pink-ball Test being played at the Gabba. At the end of the day’s play, England remained in a strong position at 325 runs for 9 wickets. Without playing spin, Australia fell eight overs behind in their over-rate, which could lead to deduction of WTC points.
After the condition of the ball deteriorated, Jofra Archer and Joe Root made an important partnership of 61 runs for the last wicket and defeated the Australian pacers. The pair will bat next on Friday in precious daylight.
Earlier, Crawley scored 76 runs, which is his second highest score in Australia, while Root (135*, not out) scored a century on Australian soil after 30 innings. Crowley said that the England team, which was under pressure due to poor batting in Perth, was surprised to not see Lion’s name in the Australian team.
All Australian bowlers except Starc were right-arm medium pacers. Neeser, Cameron Green, Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett combined for just two wickets for 249 runs, while Starc did most of the damage by taking 6/71. Crawley admitted that the lack of variety in bowling made batting easier. “A rhythm is established against all four seamers. As the game progressed, batting became easier,” Crawley told reporters after the day’s play.
Mitchell Starc, however, refused to express concern about the lack of variety in the attack. He said, “Speed is not everything. That is the combination we have chosen this week.” He said that even without Lyon, there was no feeling of any extra pressure on him. Lyon received the news of being dropped from the team just an hour before the toss. He said, “It is a difficult decision for him. Every player wants to play every match, the selectors have chosen this combination after seeing the conditions. “This in no way calls into question Lion’s ability.”
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