Australia Squad vs Bangladesh: After a shocking defeat in the first test of the series, Australia have reacted by dropping opening batter Jake Weatherald. The southpaw, who managed to score 23 runs across the innings, including a duck, has been replaced by Matt Renshaw. Following Bangladesh’s historic win in Darwin, many former cricketers believed changes in the squad would be made and called for dropping both Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne.
While Labuschagne managed to hold on to his spot in the squad, the 31-year-old opening batter faced the axe. Meanwhile, Renshaw, who is only a year younger than Weatherald, has been recalled to the squad following some impressive performances in Shield Cricket.
AUS vs BAN: Jake Weatherald Dropped From Australia Squad
Jake Weatherald, who made his debut during last summer’s Ashes, has been dropped from Australia’s squad after playing only six test matches. With 224 runs to his name at an average of 20.36, the Darwin-born batter did not give many reasons for him to be included in the squad. With Australia needing a win in Mackay, the Pat Cummins-led side has taken a crucial step by recalling Matt Renshaw to the team.
Matt Renshaw Recalled to Australia Test Team
Having last played a Test match in 2023, Matt Renshaw has been recalled to the Australian team. Born in Yorkshire, Renshaw played 14 matches in the longest format during his first stint with the national side. 19 of his 24 innings came at the top of the order, opening the innings.
Renshaw’s average of 45.8 when facing the first ball of the match dropped to 18.37 when he started the innings at the non-striker’s end. He was shifted to the middle order later, where five innings yielded him only 40 runs and led to him being dropped.
With an opening spot being vacated, the 30-year-old would now be hoping to make the most of the opportunity presented to him on the back of a strong performance in the domestic circuit.
Matt Renshaw Recent Sheffield Shield Form
Despite being the 16th-highest run-getter in the last season of the Sheffield Shield, Matt Renshaw has been called up to Australia’s squad because of his consistency. Renshaw scored 499 runs in six matches for Queensland. But it was his average of 49.9 that stood out, with none of the batters averaging more than him with at least 420 runs in the season.
AUS vs BAN: Australia Squad For 2nd Test
Australia Squad For 2nd Test: Pat Cummins (C), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
