Pat Cummins has confirmed that Matt Renshaw would be making his comeback to Australia’s Test XI in Mackay when the second Test against Bangladesh starts on Saturday. Though Australia didn’t name their XI, Cummins confirmed the expected switch after Jake Weatherald was dropped from the squad altogether following the first Test, which Australia lost by nine wickets in Darwin.

Weatherald had scored 23 and 0 in Darwin, dismissed by Player of the Match Hasan Mahmud on both occasions, and that triggered the latest episode of the merry-go-round with Australia’s Test openers.

Renshaw will turn out for his 15th Test, and his first since 2023, having been on standby for this series after training with the squad in Brisbane.

He averaged 49.90 in the Sheffield Shield last season with three centuries and has impressed on his introduction to Australia’s white-ball sides. He was a late addition to the T20 World Cup squad earlier this year when he replaced Matt Short.

Overall in Test cricket, Renshaw averages 29.31 with a top score of 184 against Pakistan in early 2017.

His return means that outside of Usman Khawaja, who was established at the top of the order before his final series against England, Australia will have had seven openers since David Warner retired in early 2024. Travis Head is continuing in the role after his success in the Ashes – where he was elevated when Khawaja was injured in Perth.

When Renshaw last played Test cricket, in February 2023 in India, he was a concussion sub for Warner and batted at No. 5 with Head and Khawaja opening.