Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Mackay: Australia have resisted the temptation to drop Nathan Lyon for Scott Boland as they seek to redress a surprise loss to Bangladesh in the first Test in Darwin.
After a final look at the pitch, captain Pat Cummins on Friday confirmed Matt Renshaw would open in place of Jake Weatherald would be the team’s only change.
Cummins explained that Weatherald had not done enough over six Tests to keep his place, and virtually confirmed he would also be missing from the squad for South Africa to play three Tests in October.
“A really tough one for Wethers, I thought he was awesome around the group, really like the way he goes about it, but over the course of six Test matches [he] just didn’t quite score the runs that he or we would’ve liked,” Cummins said.
“Like anyone, go back, knock the door back down. I suspect he’ll be back for a full Shield season, so go and show you’re better than anyone else in that competition.”
After missing six years with back injuries, Cummins returned to Test cricket alongside a young Renshaw in India and Bangladesh in 2017, and said the left-hander had developed a more rounded and consistent game over the decade since.
“For Renners, he’s been really impressive, some great off-season tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh with white ball, so he looks in good nick,” Cummins said. “Had a really good Shield [campaign] last season.
“Some of the chat about Renners in the past is he could look different from day to day. Now when you get to the back half of your career as a batter you want to know what you look like at your best, and I think he does that. The hope with Renners is keep bringing your best version every day, be nice and sharp and put pressure on the bowlers.”
Lyon’s place in the team feels increasingly precarious in Australia, but ultimately Cummins, coach Andrew McDonald and selection chair George Bailey decided that the pitch at Great Barrier Reef Arena would offer enough for spin over five days.
“If you think there’s a good chance that first bowling innings you’re going to take 10 with, mainly the quicks, relatively quickly and perhaps the fourth innings isn’t going to break up, that’s a lot of the decision,” Cummins said.
“The extra layer to that is having someone like Scotty Boland on the bench who is very classy, that’s why the conversation always comes up.”
Marnus Labuschagne, meanwhile, has been counselled to desist from constant technical tinkering and to trust the methods that made him the best number three batsman in the world between 2019 and 2023.
“He’s been number one batter in the world or close to, he’s scored thousands of Test runs,” Cummins said. “We know it’s in him.
“The last couple of months, I know it’s only training and match simulation, but I thought he’s been as sharp as in a long time, and that’s me bowling at him and getting that feedback.
“As a bowler, it feels like the margins are really small when someone like Marnus or Steve [Smith] is at their best form, and I’ve felt that the last couple of months. Last week was a bit of a blip, but our message to Marn’ is you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, trust the work he’s put in over the last six months.”
Asked about Bangladesh’s methodical style of play in Darwin, Cummins agreed that his team needed to be capable of playing a longer game against opponents who refused to play in profligate fast-forward as England did last summer.
“I thought they did that better than us last week, really disciplined, played a long game,” Cummins said. “I actually felt like it was more similar to a lot of the Test matches I played at the start of my career in Australia.
“But the way through that isn’t necessarily to strike at 100 [strike rate], it might be that attritional cricket, wear them down and get the fast bowlers to keep coming back. It’s not an easy country to keep bowling 20 overs a day, so really get into the grind and play what’s in front of you.”
More to come
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Daniel Brettig is The Age’s chief cricket writer and the author of several books on cricket.Connect via X.
