SYDNEY : Australia will look to put their shock defeat by Bangladesh behind them when the two sides meet in the second test in Mackay on Saturday, with the world’s top-ranked team needing a strong response to level the series.
Bangladesh stunned Australia by nine wickets in Darwin last week, securing their first test victory on Australian soil after dominating with both bat and ball.
The defeat, dubbed the “Darwin Disaster” by Australian media, prompted an immediate change at the top of the order, with Jake Weatherald dropped after scoring 23 and a duck.
Matt Renshaw has been recalled after three years out of the test side, with the 30-year-old hoping to revive his international career and add to his 645 runs from 14 tests.
Australia could also turn to paceman Scott Boland or wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, but the hosts are likely to expect a response from a star-studded side that underperformed badly in the opener.
“We are a proud group of cricketers and obviously last week didn’t go to plan,” wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who is set to play his 50th test, said this week.
“When this team has been challenged, we always find a way to bounce back in a big way. I am looking forward to Saturday.”
More questions will be raised about Australia’s dominance in test cricket if they cannot recover at Great Barrier Reef Arena, which will become the country’s 12th test venue.
All-rounder Cameron Green, who scored a century in Australia’s second innings in Darwin, is the only player in the squad under 30.
Marnus Labuschagne is also under pressure after scoring 32 runs in the first test, with coach and selector Andrew McDonald saying the top-order batter needs “big runs” to secure his place.
Pace shift pays off
Bangladesh head to Mackay with confidence after their landmark victory, which moved them into the second test with little pressure.
Their decision to rely on pace rather than a spin-heavy attack paid dividends in Darwin, with Hasan Mahmud taking six wickets in Australia’s first innings and the visitors’ quicks repeatedly troubling the hosts.
Bangladesh could bring back left-arm paceman Shoriful Islam, who has recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the series opener.
Replacing any of the five bowlers who helped dismiss Australia twice in Darwin will be a difficult decision, however.
A series win would be a remarkable achievement for Bangladesh, who have not traditionally been able to build on major test victories.
Beating Australia again in Mackay to complete a 2-0 sweep would rank among the biggest successes in the country’s test history.
