Live: Australia springs selection surprise by axing Lyon for second Test

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There’s the big team news.

Michael Neser is in, replacing Nathan Lyon.

Josh Inglis is the replacement for Usman Khawaja, with Travis Head opening again.

Steve Smith suggests that Australia would have batted first.

“If you bat well, it gives you a chance to manipulate the game in a way where you can bowl under lights as much as possible, so we would have done that, but hopefully we can bowl well this morning and get ourselves in position,” he says.

Here’s the line up:

1. Travis Head
2. Jake Weatherald
3. Marnus Labuschagne 
4. Steven Smith (c) 
5. Cameron Green
6. Josh Inglis
7. Alex Carey (wk)
8. Michael Neser
9. Mitchell Starc
10. Scott Boland
11. Brendan Doggett

Captain Ben Stokes has elected to bat after winning the toss with the call of heads.

“We are coming here off the back of a disappointing week last week. So hopefully we can find those runs,” Stokes says.

England likes chasing historically, but having won the toss twice on this tour, they have batting first both times.

Here is the England team, as expected:

1. Zak Crawley
2. Ben Duckett
3. Ollie Pope
4. Joe Root
5. Harry Brook
6. Ben Stokes (c)
7. Jamie Smith (wk)
8. Will Jacks
9. Brydon Carse
10. Gus Atkinson
11. Jofra Archer

Technically, he’s not been dropped. He has a back injury which flared up in Perth and has not healed sufficiently to allow him to play for five days here.

But you’d have to question whether, if Travis Head opens again and plays well again that Khawaja will find it hard to get himself back into the team.

“Khawaja will remain with the team to continue his rehabilitation,” CA said in a statement when it was announced that he was not going to play, so he is here.

But yes, time will tell.

About 25 yards long, with stumps placed 22 yards apart from each other.

Apart from that, it looks good to me.

Not as green as previous years have been at the Gabba which fits with what I suspect has been a bit of a plan to placate any excessive movement off the deck from this pink ball.

They do tend to leave the grass a little longer for these pink ball Tests to avoid undue wear and discolouration to the ball, but look, it looks fine to me.

There has been some suggestion that the Ashes does not need the ‘gimmick’ of day-night Test cricket.

But whatever your opinion on pink ball Tests, there’s no doubt that Australia has become specialists at it.

Out of the 24 pink ball Tests to be played since the first in Adelaide in November 2015, 13 have taken place in Australia.

Of those, Australia have won 12.

Diving into the numbers is Henry Hanson.

He is out there and is going through some gentle warm ups.

But he didn’t mark out his run up so I can’t see him playing in this one.

Additionally, it would be madness for him to play here if there is any possible doubt that his injury would flare up.

After this Test there is another long gap before Adelaide.

Far better to hold him in reserve until then.

At the toss, which will take place at 1:30pm local time, about 13 minutes time.

Here’s how England line up today.

Will Jacks is the only change from the team that were blown away in Perth.

He replaces Mark Wood who has an injured knee.

That’s a huge blow for England, with Wood likely to be England’s most effective bowler with the pink ball on account of him being the fastest England has.

This will be confirmed at the toss, but we’ve not seen anything out there that would give us cause to think there will be any changes to that.

There has been a lot of talk about Australia’s selection for this Test.

Could Pat Cummins make a stunning return?

Will Nathan Lyon be sacrificed on the altar of fast-bowling?

Will there be a surprise inclusion of a different sort?

Well, Dean has had the binoculars out and he says he’s spotted Queenslander Michael Neser out there.

There’s been so Cummins sighting yet, but Lyon looks very lackadaisical out there, perhaps suggesting that he won’t be bowling. Indeed, he did point to his hip when warming up.

There is a suggestion that Mitch Starc, Brendan Doggett, Scott Boland and Cameron Green, with Neser also coming in.

Something to keep an eye on.

Good afternoon folks and welcome to day one of the second Ashes Test of the summer from the Gabba!

My name is Simon Smale and I am in position here in sunny but not too humid Brisbane alongside Jon Healy and Dean Bilton, while Chris De Silva and Henry Hanson are also lurking in the wings like snappers spotting helmetless Englishmen on scooters.

The crowds were queuing around the block to get into the members this morning when we arrived, such is the anticipation for what should be a belting day of Test cricket.

So settle in, get yourself a warm (or cold) drink and we’ll do the rest.