Steve Smith said the decision to drop Nathan Lyonwas taken to strengthen the pace-bowling department.
There is a saying that spinners mature after 30 and Lyon with 479 wickets from 118 Tests is a shining example of that adage.
Australia's star bowler Nathan Lyon rubbished suggestions that 'Bazball', the aggressive style of cricket displayed by England's Test team, has revolutionized the game.
Lyon breached Pujara's defence and was happy to be a party-spoiler in India No 3's 100th game.
Ashwin said bluntly that Lyon is "lucky" to be in a system where a player can vent without fear of fallout.
Lyon is confident that there will be a result with two days left in the game.
Lyon's lack of recent action has left him stalled on 562 wickets, one shy of Glenn McGrath's tally in the list of most prolific Australian test wicket-takers.
Lyon had suffered a "significant calf tear" while fielding on day two of the second Test that Australia won by 43 runs
Australia's Lyon angry at being dropped for second Ashes Test
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps on Day 4 of the third Test, still 228 runs short of victory
Jonty Rhodes believes Australia's omission of spinner Nathan Lyon will hurt them in the World T20.
Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon said officials have done a good job.
'To be able to take over or equal Glenn, or however you want to put it, it's pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it's something that I'll look back at the end of my career, or even tonight, and sit back and try and have a moment.'
During England's run-chase of 435 runs, Lyon had taken three crucial wickets in the second innings and a total of five throughout the game to help his side gain an upper hand.
But the man known as "Gazza" to his team mates has become much more than a sum of his statistics, and seems to add a new string to his bow every season.
Captain Pat Cummins and spinner Nathan Lyon have returned to the Australia XI for the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide.
Pakistan spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq has described Ravichandran Ashwin as a 'world-class bowler', insisting that the Indian star spinner is way ahead of his contemporaries.
Images from Day 2 of the 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide on Thursday
Nathan Lyon donates bats signed by Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah to support cricketers with disability
Regular captain Pat Cummins was named in the Australia squad on Wednesday for the third Ashes Test against England, a strong indication that the inspirational fast bowler will see his first action of the series in Adelaide next week.
England opener Zak Crawley said Australia had shown why they were favourites coming into the Ashes after a tough day four at Adelaide Oval left the tourists staring down the barrel of a series defeat on Saturday.
''South Africa have got some world class batters and obviously they've got some unbelievable bowlers there as well so it's going to be a good challenge and obviously it's a one-off Test match.'
Australia may opt to continue with a four-prong pace attack at Adelaide and even add another part-time seamer in all-rounder Beau Webster, who could replace batter Josh Inglis in the lower middle order.
t Pat Cummins' side firmly on top of the WTC standings, with a perfect record after six matches in the current cycle.
Opening batter Jake Weatherald and pace bowler Brendan Doggett will make their Test debuts for Australia in the first Ashes Test against England in Perth on Friday.
'He's got a pretty good record against Indian batsmen (123 wickets in 28 Tests versus India).' 'In India too he has a great record (56 wickets in 11 Tests in India), that is a pretty good record against a country that traditionally plays spin very well.'
Spinner Todd Murphy has been called into the Australia squad in place of the injured Nathan Lyon for this week's fourth Ashes Test, while captain Pat Cummins will skip the rest of the series as his back issue is managed.
With the Ashes urn in their hands, Australia decided to rule Cummins out of the two remaining Tests.
The 3rd Test match in Kingston, Jamaica, will mark Australia's first day-night Test away from home and if they opt for a pace-heavy attack, Scott Boland could come into the side.
Australia head coach and selector Andrew McDonald has confirmed Usman Khawaja will play in the fifth Ashes Test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground amid media speculation it could be his last international.
Starc reached his second fifty of the series in 73 balls, striking eight fours, before England finally struck back. Archer ended Lyon's resistance, trapping him plumb in front for 9, and Australia were soon bowled out for 371 in 91.2 overs.
'We have nothing but respect for every Indian cricketer who takes the field on Friday'
Triumphant Australia will bid farewell to Usman Khawaja as England look to recover another few scraps of pride when the Ashes series comes to a conclusion with the fifth Test in Sydney from Sunday.
Panesar believes Lyon is a better bowler than Ashwin because of the dominance he has imposed in Australia, where spinners struggle to find assistance from the pitch.
'We know we're behind the game again, in the situation we currently stand.'
'They're those little moments as a squad that I think have got us across the line to four wins this series.'
Steve Smith returns to action in the Boxing Day Test against England as Australia opted to include four fast bowlers in their 12-man squad.
Cummins has been sidelined with a lumbar stress injury since Australia swept West Indies in the Caribbean in July.
The Perth Stadium curator has promised the wicket will be green, fast and bouncy but Stokes offered no thoughts on whether England would attack with four quicks or pick the specialist spinner, Shoaib Bashir, in their 11.