Australia recall Renshaw, retain Labuschagne for must-win second Test
Jake Weatherald drops out of the side for the Mackay encounter as Matt Renshaw returns, while Marnus Labuschagne keeps his place despite a prolonged run of low scores.
Australia have made a single adjustment to their 13-man squad for the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay, replacing opener Jake Weatherald with Matt Renshaw. The selection decision follows a nine-wicket defeat in Darwin, which marked Bangladesh’s first-ever Test victory on Australian soil and placed immediate pressure on the national selectors to address an aging lineup.
The second Test, beginning on Saturday, is viewed as a must-win for Australia to level the two-Test series. Weatherald, who scored 23 in the first innings and failed to score in the second in his hometown Test, leaves with an international average of 20.36 across 12 innings. Renshaw, who previously played 11 Tests between 2016 and 2018 before returning in 2023, is expected to partner Travis Head at the top of the order.
Coach Andrew McDonald cited technical issues in Weatherald’s dismissal as a key factor in the change. “There was some change to Jake in terms of where he lined up and his movement patterns,” McDonald said. He noted that Weatherald “dragged one on and drove at one” in the first innings, suggesting that while the sample size is small, the technical breakdown was evident under pressure.
Renshaw’s recall follows a strong performance in domestic cricket, where he scored three centuries from 499 runs in six Sheffield Shield matches for Queensland last season. He averages 29.31 with one century in 14 Test matches, having been dropped in 2018 and recalled in 2023 before focusing on shorter formats.
In a significant retention decision, Marnus Labuschagne remains in the squad despite averaging 25.23 from his last 42 Test innings and not scoring an international century in nearly three years. Labuschagne scored one and 31 in the opening Test. McDonald acknowledged the scores were low but stated that recent technical work appears to be “sticking up under pressure,” adding that the coaching group is working hard to get the best out of the batsman.
The full 13-man squad for the Mackay Test includes captain Pat Cummins, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, and Beau Webster.
