Australia has kept Nathan Lyon in the lineup for the second Test against Bangladesh
The Australian national cricket team decided not to field four specialist fast bowlers for the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay. Captain Pat Cummins confirmed that Matthew Renshaw will open the batting, and off-spinner Nathan Lyon will retain his place in the lineup.
Renshaw will replace Jake Weserald—this is the only change to the Australian squad following their nine-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the first Test in Darwin. Wetherall was dropped after six Tests in which he failed to score as many runs as he and the team had hoped, Cummins said.
The pitch at Great Barrier Reef Arena is expected to favor fast bowlers. Meanwhile, Lyon will play his 143rd Test, although he took just one wicket for 102 runs in the first innings of the Darwin match. Fast bowler Scott Boland, who did not play in the first Test, was also left out of the squad for the match in Mackay.
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Groundkeeper Peter Kazakoff stated that the surface should ensure a fast ball, as the soil has characteristics similar to those of the “Gabbie” pitch. According to him, the spinners from Australia and Bangladesh could play an important role in the later stages of the match.
Cummins noted that the team is confident in its response to the loss in Darwin. Renshaw, 30, will play his first Test in three years. Last season in the Sheffield Shield, he averaged 49.9 and scored three centuries. Australia’s second Test against Bangladesh begins on Saturday.
Australia’s lineup: Matthew Renshaw, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Bo Webster, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Stark, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazelwood.
