Matt Renshaw Returns to Australia’s Test XI for Second Test Against Bangladesh

Pat Cummins has confirmed that Matt Renshaw will be making his return to Australia’s Test XI for the second Test against Bangladesh, set to take place in Mackay on Saturday. Australia has yet to officially announce their lineup, but Cummins noted the expected change following the exclusion of Jake Weatherald from the squad after the team’s defeat by nine wickets in the first Test in Darwin.

Weatherald had a challenging performance in Darwin, scoring 23 runs in the first innings and failing to score in the second, where he was dismissed by Player of the Match Hasan Mahmud on both occasions. This marks a continued reshuffling of Australia’s opening batsmen.

Renshaw is set to play his 15th Test match and his first since February 2023, having been on standby for this series after participating in training with the squad in Brisbane. Last season, he had a strong showing in the Sheffield Shield, averaging 49.90 with three centuries. Additionally, he recently made his debut in the white-ball format for Australia and was a late inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad, replacing Matt Short.

Renshaw averages 29.31 in Test cricket, with a top score of 184 against Pakistan in early 2017. His inclusion means that Australia will have utilized seven openers since the retirement of David Warner in early 2024, with Usman Khawaja being the only established opener currently in the side before his final series against England. Travis Head continues as an opener after performing well during the Ashes, having stepped up when Khawaja was injured during the Perth Test.

In his last appearance in Test cricket, Renshaw served as a concussion substitute for Warner in India, batting at No. 5 while Head and Khawaja opened the innings.

Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn