Jake Weatherald has paid the price for an underwhelming performance in Australia’s shock Test defeat to Bangladesh, with Matthew Renshaw drafted into a 13-man squad to replace the opener for the second and final match of the series starting on Saturday. Weatherald went into the first Test in his home town of Darwin with a question mark over his place in the side, having largely failed to make an impact since coming into the Test set-up as a late-blooming debutant at the start of the 2025-26 Ashes series. Meagre returns of 23 and 0 in Bangladesh’s historic nine-wicket win left Weatherald with an average of just 20.36 over his six Test appearances and intensified the scrutiny on his position at the top of the order.
Australia selectors announced in a short statement on Tuesday that the 31-year-old had been dropped. He dragged one on and drove at one in the first innings and was dismissed. It is probably harder with that smaller sample size to say, ‘yep, that’s going to hold up under pressure’.” Renshaw comes in having played the last of his 14 Tests in February 2023, against India in Delhi, but in good nick; he enjoyed a strong domestic season for Queensland, scoring 499 runs in six Sheffield Shield matches at an average of 49.90.
The 30-year-old has become a regular in Australia’s white-ball sides while playing nine one-day internationals and as many T20s over the past year. There were no other changes to the Australia squad and Marnus Labuschagne, who also struggled in Darwin with returns of 31 and 1, has retained his spot despite similar concerns over his form heading into the first Test against Bangladesh. Labuschagne, who was told on Monday by McDonald he needs “big runs” if he is to retain his place at No 3, will have another chance repay the selectors’ faith when the second Test gets under way in Mackay on Saturday.
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