India, July 13 -- In a shocking move, Australia dropped veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, who stood on the brink of history, from the playing XI for the third Test match against the West Indies in Kingston, as the tourists opted for a rare all-pace attack. Breaking the silence on the selection call that raised many eyebrows, national selector Tony Dodemaide explained that it was merely a data-driven decision.

On Friday, captain Pat Cummins hinted that Australia had yet to narrow in on their playing XI, which strongly suggested that team management was contemplating dropping Lyon for the Pink Ball Test. The speculations turned true on Saturday, when Cummins confirmed the line-up at the toss, with Scott Boland replacing Lyon.

"Pink ball, so it...