'Where is Nathan Lyon?': David Warner in loss of words as Pat Cummins uses Matt Renshaw as spin option in SA vs AUS 2nd Test originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Australia left out Nathan Lyon in Gqeberha, and Matt Renshaw bowled as the part-time spin option.
- David Warner mocked the decision on X, asking where Lyon was while watching Renshaw bowl.
- Warner also criticised the empty stands in South Africa and questioned the state of Test cricket.
David Warner questions Nathan Lyon snub as Matt Renshaw rolls his arm over in Gqeberha
“Where is Nathan Lyon?” was the question David Warner put to his followers on day three of the second Test, after Pat Cummins turned to part-time spinner Matt Renshaw on Day 3 in Gqeberha.
Australia chose to leave out Lyon and bring in Scott Boland for the second Test against South Africa in October 2026, and the call was shaped mainly by the pitch.
The ground staff in Gqeberha had prepared a surface with a healthy covering of grass, which made a specialist spinner look like an unnecessary luxury, and the team management preferred to back a four-man pace attack instead.
It was another bold decision from the selection group of George Bailey, Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide, who have never shied away from tough choices. Boland, for his part, justified the move almost straight away. On a damp morning at St George’s Park, he took two wickets in two balls and fell just short of a hat-trick, showing why the selectors trusted him over a bowler with Lyon’s record.
The match situation changed on the third day, when South Africa mounted a fightback and Cummins looked for variety before lunch. With no frontline spinner in the side, the captain handed the ball to Renshaw, who is a part-time option and normally contributes with the bat.
He bowled five overs and conceded 18 runs without taking a wicket, so the experiment did not bring a breakthrough, though it was a tidy enough spell in the circumstances.
The irony was not lost on followers of the series, since Renshaw and Lyon had made headlines together earlier in the tour in Durban. On that occasion they combined for a 134-run partnership for the ninth wicket, which is Australia’s highest stand for that wicket in an away Test.
The pair helped the team recover from 230 for 8 and push the first-innings total beyond 350, and now one of them was bowling while the other was sitting out.
Warner did not hold back as he watched Renshaw come on to bowl. He posted a message on X that mixed disbelief with humour, and it was aimed squarely at the decision to leave Lyon out.
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He said: “Can’t believe Matt Renshaw is now bowling where is Nathan Lyon?? All the kids around the world want to see a spinner 🤣🤣🤣”.
Can’t believe Matt Renshaw is now bowling where is Nathan Lyon?? All the kids around the world want to see a spinner 🤣🤣🤣
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) October 20, 2026
David Warner slams empty stands in South Africa and questions Test cricket’s health
Warner did not stop at team selection, as he followed up with a second post that criticised the lack of fans at the ground.
The problem of sparse crowds had already been visible during the first Test, and the former batter used the second one to raise a wider concern about the format. Before the post, he made clear that he considered it a harsh truth that had to be spoken aloud.
He wrote: “We keep hearing how important Test cricket is, but where are the fans in South Africa? Empty stands, no atmosphere, and we’re supposed to believe the format is thriving? You can’t keep calling Test cricket the pinnacle of the game if no one turns up to watch it. Harsh reality, but someone has to say it. Pathetic.”
We keep hearing how important Test cricket is, but where are the fans in South Africa? Empty stands, no atmosphere, and we’re supposed to believe the format is thriving? You can’t keep calling Test cricket the pinnacle of the game if no one turns up to watch it. Harsh reality, but someone has to say it. Pathetic
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) October 20, 2026
Was leaving out Nathan Lyon the right call?
The decision to drop Lyon was defensible on paper, since a grassy pitch and a damp morning usually favour fast bowlers, and Boland’s two wickets in two balls vindicated that reading in the opening session. The selectors have earned some trust for making difficult choices, and a side that wins tends to be forgiven quickly.
However, Warner’s comment is a reminder of the risk that comes with such calls. Pitches change over five days, and a team without a frontline spinner can find itself with few options when the surface wears or the opposition fights back, as South Africa did on day three. Renshaw gave Cummins a few tidy overs, but a part-timer cannot take over the role of a bowler with more than 500 Test wickets.
The bigger point in Warner’s second post deserves more attention than the selection debate. Empty stands do not help the cause of the longest format, and boards need to think seriously about ticket prices, scheduling and promotion. Until then, even the best Test matches may be played in front of a lonely crowd.
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