Australia captain Pat Cummins has confirmed recalled batter Matthew Renshaw will open in his return to the Test arena for the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay, while veteran spinner Nathan Lyon has kept his spot in Australia’s XI for the second Test after the skipper said an all-pace attack was under consideration in a bid to level the series. In the pre-match press conference, Cummins confirmed that Renshaw would make his Test comeback at the top of the order but did not announce the full side for the second Test, saying they wanted to give the pitch another day before making a decision at a venue hosting its first Test match.
This will be Renshaw’s 15th appearance at Test level, the first in more than three years, with the 30-year-old’s last Test cap coming in Delhi against India back in 2023 when he came in as a concussion substitute for regular opener David Warner.
He has since featured for Australia in both ODI and T20I cricket but wins a recall to the Test arena following a disappointing performance from the Aussies’ top order in the first Test against Bangladesh.
After Australia incurred a shocking nine-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the first Test of their two-match series in Darwin, Australia dropped Jake Weatherald and recalled left-hander Renshaw as his replacement. Marnus Labuschagne and Beau Webster look likely to hold their spots in the XI.
Moreover, Australia were considering leaving Nathan Lyon out for the second Test against Bangladesh. Lyon picked up just one wicket during the opening Test against Bangladesh in Darwin, though the 38-year-old has never been dropped for a red-ball Test when fully fit under the captaincy reign of Cummins.
“Trying to give it another day to see whether it’s four quicks or a spinner,” Cummins told reporters earlier. “It’s largely conditions-based. If you think there’s a good chance in that first or second bowling innings that you’re going to take 10 wickets mainly with the quicks relatively quickly, and then perhaps the fourth innings isn’t going to break up.
“That’s a lot of the decision. Then probably related to that is having someone like Scotty Boland on the bench, who obviously is very class. I think that’s why the conversation always comes up,” he said.
But the Aussies have resisted the temptation to leave out the veteran spinner for the second Test. Selectors convened pitch-side shortly after Cummins spoke and confirmed Lyon had held his spot.
The Aussies twice played an all-seam attack for pink-ball Tests last year, but the last time they left Lyon out of their XI when fit for a red-ball Test was 14 years ago at the WACA Ground in 2012.
Great Barrier Reef Arena curator Peter Kazakoff said, “Spinners have had a big say later in the match, but obviously that’s not my call. Obviously, those first-class games were a bit later in the year when it was a bit warmer. It’s a lot cooler this time of year, so the moisture will come out of the wicket slower.”
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