Australia pulled a 138-year first Sunday by failing to pick a spinner for a Sydney Cricket Ground Test, with skipper Steve Smith saying he had been backed into a corner. It is becoming a trend in Australia with the home side overlooking veteran Nathan Lyon for the pink-ball second Test in Brisbane before his injury replacement Murphy's non-selection in Melbourne and Sydney. In Sydney, England also failed to play their top spinner Shoaib Bashir for a fifth straight game, meaning he will return home having not bowled a ball in a Test in Australia. "With a lot of the wickets we're playing on now, I think spin ... is the easiest thing to face," he said. "I love seeing spinners play a part in the game, but right now, why would you?"

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 04, 2026 09:42 UTC