Australia captain Pat Cummins has confirmed that recalled batter Matthew Renshaw is set to open the innings in the second Test against Bangladesh at Mackay, while veteran spinner Nathan Lyon has retained his spot in the playing XI. Cummins was reluctant to name his full starting line-up for the second Test at Mackay after their stunning nine-wicket defeat by hosts Bangladesh in Darwin.
Pat Cummins said he did not want to give away Australia's whole XI because they wanted to see how the pitch was going to play on another day. The second Test is the first match to be staged at this venue.
Matthew Renshaw returns to Test cricket as Australia seek a response
Pat Cummins has made a major selection call on the eve of the second Test with Bangladesh as he recalled opener David Warner while retaining the services of spinner Adam Lyon.
Matthew Renshaw will return to Test cricket in one of the two new opening positions after missing out on a recall during Australia's Ashes campaign.
The 30-year-old last appeared in a Test match in Delhi back in February 2023, when he replaced the concussion-ruled David Warner.
Since his debut against Pakistan in 2017, Renshaw has notched 19 half-centuries in Test cricket, with all of his scores in the 50s coming at number three. Matthew Renshaw has batted at every position bar six since making his debut against Pakistan in 2017.
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Meanwhile, Jake Weatherald was left out of the squad after a disappointing showing in Darwin, with captain Cummins saying they need to accelerate their scoring rate. Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster are both expected to hold their places in the side, with the former due for a recall after missing out on the series opener.
The bigger talking point was Cummins' decision to retain the services of Lyon, who took just a single wicket in the first Test. Cummins even hinted that the veteran could be replaced in the second Test as Australia look to name a four-paced attack, with Cummins saying “trying to give it another day to see whether it's four quicks or a spinner. It's largely conditions-based.”
“If we can get 10 wickets up front at a good rate and the pitch is good enough to deteriorate and allow us to bring on a spinner later on in the piece, then that will be our mindset,” Cummins said.
Meanwhile, Lyon's recall also highlights the value of Scott Boland, who was retained as an option after missing out on the series opener. “I think Scott Boland's a very good seamer and bowler and that's why we've got him in the change room ready to go if he needs to,” Cummins added.
Boland was left out of the squad as Cummins and the selectors looked to name a four-paced attack in Mackay. However, they have ruled out the idea of leaving Lyon out of the second Test, with the skipper saying “we had a chat down at the ground after the press conference and decided to stick with Adam for the second Test.”
Lyon has not missed a Test match when he has been fit under Cummins, who has not left the veteran spinner out of a red-ball Test in any of his matches as captain. The last time Lyon was left out of a Test match when he was fit to play was at the WACA Ground way back in 2012.
Australia have named four-paced attacks in two of the last three pink-ball Tests, but the conditions in Mackay have convinced Cummins that Lyon is needed. Great Barrier Reef Arena curator Peter Kazakoff even believes that the spinner can play a bigger role as the game progresses.
“Spinners have had a big say later in the match, but obviously that's not my call. I don't know if they will,” Kazakoff said.
“We've had some pretty hot weather at the ground, so it may well be that moisture is coming out of the wickets a little bit slower than it maybe was in some of the first-class matches that have been played here at the ground.”
For Australia, their selection policy shows how integral the second Test in Mackay is for them, as they look to recover from the shock defeat in Darwin. Pat Cummins will feel that the new opening battery of Warner and Matthew Renshaw can set the platform for a much-needed victory, while Lyon is still wanted despite the pace-friendly conditions.