MACKAY, Australia – On a sun-drenched Saturday at Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef Arena, the second men’s cricket Test between Australia and Bangladesh got off to a dramatic start, with Australian captain Pat Cummins winning the pre-match coin toss and electing to send the visiting side in to open batting first.
The high-stakes encounter comes one week after Bangladesh pulled off a historic upset in the first Test of the two-match series in Darwin, marking Bangladesh’s first ever Test victory on Australian soil. That shock defeat left Australia facing an urgent need to secure victory in Mackay to level the series, as the hosts kick off a grueling 12-month calendar packed with 20 Test matches, including upcoming away tours to South Africa, India, and England.
Cummins addressed conditions at the Mackay ground ahead of play, noting that the pitch appeared in excellent shape but suggested early-morning moisture could impact play in the first session. “The wicket looks pretty good but if there is any moisture in it it might be this morning,” Cummins told reporters ahead of the opening over.
Following their underperformance in Darwin, Australian selectors made just one adjustment to their 13-man squad announced earlier this week, dropping opening batsman Jake Weatherald to recall experienced left-hander Matt Renshaw, who will step straight into the opening batting position for the second Test. The decision to retain the majority of Australia’s aging core squad came despite growing calls from fans and analysts for a major overhaul of the national team following the Darwin upset.
For Bangladesh, the visitors also made a single change to their matchday lineup, with pace bowler Shoriful Islam replacing injured seamer Ebadot Hossain. Bangladesh will lean heavily on the stand-out performers from their historic Darwin win, all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz and opening batsman Tanzid Hasan, who both adapted expertly to the tropical northern Australian conditions to drive their side’s victory last week.
Located on Queensland’s central coast roughly 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of the state capital Brisbane, Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena welcomed players and fans under clear, sunny skies for the opening day of the must-win match. Full lineups for the two sides are listed below:
Australia: Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (captain), Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
Bangladesh: Tanzid Hasan, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Taijul Islam, Shoriful Islam