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.
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.
Selectors convened pitch-side shortly after Cummins spoke and confirmed Lyon had held his spot. “It’s largely conditions-based. “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. But the Aussies have resisted the temptation to leave out the veteran spinner for the second Test. 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.”
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.
“Trying to give it another day to see whether it’s four quicks or a spinner,” Cummins told reporters earlier. I think that’s why the conversation always comes up,” he said. 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.
