The Cricket Australia selectors have now taken a big decision and dropped a member from the Ashes-winning squad for the second Test. The Australians have decided to drop opener Jake Weatherald after he managed scores of only 23 and 0 in the two innings at Darwin and replaced him with another left-handed batter in Matthew Renshaw.
Since his debut in Test cricket last year during the home Ashes series against England, Weatherald has managed to score only 224 runs in six Tests at an average of 20.36, with just one half-century to his name.
"Yeah, there was some change to Jake in terms of where he lined up and his movement patterns," head coach Andrew McDonald said of Weatherald.
"It is always hard to critique small sample sizes on whether it holds up (at international level). He dragged one on and drove at one in the first innings and was dismissed; it's probably harder with that smaller sample size to say, 'Yep, that is going to hold up under pressur'. But there was some change though," he added.
Lucknow Super Giants wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is another option to open alongside Travis Head but the five-Test old star has usually batted in the middle order in the Sheffield Shield. In November last year, knocks of 40 and 125 not out against England Lions ahead of the Ashes at home saw him throw up his name in the ring for a top-order gig.
Renshaw is a safer option as the replacement opener, given the fact that he has already scored two first-class tons at the Mackay venue which is making its Test debut. The 30-year-old last played a Test against India three years back in the middle order and has featured in 14 Tests, scoring 645 runs in 24 innings, with a century and three fifties at an average of 29.31.
But he has been a consistent run-getter in the Sheffield Shield for Queensland with 499 runs in 10 innings at an average of almost 50, with three tons and a fifty.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
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