The Ashes, Australia vs England: Lack of spin bowling has deprived fans of variety in Test series, says Michael Atherton

We have seen plenty of action throughout an Ashes series played in fast-forward - but not much in the way of frontline spin bowling.

England have not played an out-and-out tweaker at all - and that is meant as no disrespect to Will Jacks - with Shoaib Bashir left out of all five Tests.

Australia, meanwhile, selected Nathan Lyon for the first and third games, but omitted him from the second, the Brisbane day-nighter, before being shorn of him for the final two fixtures due to a hamstring injury sustained in their Ashes-clinching victory in Adelaide.

The hosts could have replaced Lyon with fellow off-spinner Todd Murphy in Melbourne - a game that only lasted two days with batters toiling on a surface featuring 10mm of grass - and Sydney as well.

But they didn't, instead selecting an all-pace bowling unit for those two Tests.