Australia stick with Lyon, opt against all-pace attack for Mackay

Despite contemplating the possibility of an all-pace attack, Australia have retained Nathan Lyon in their playing XI for the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay. The hosts have made a solitary change to the side that suffered a shock defeat in Darwin, replacing axed opener Jake Weatherald with Matt Renshaw for Saturday's Test.

Prior to confirming their XI, skipper Pat Cummins initially suggested that Australia would wait until the morning of the opening day to finalise their combination. The toss-up was between Scott Boland and Lyon, but the offspinner has survived what would have been a third conditions-based exclusion in 13 months.

Australia XI for 2nd Test vs Bangladesh: Matt Renshaw, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Beau Webster, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Lyon was dropped for two pink ball Tests – in Jamaica against West Indies and then in Brisbane during the Ashes – in favour of a fourth seamer. Following the second of those omissions, he expressed being "absolutely filthy" over missing out.

"[We're] trying to give it another day to see whether it's four quicks or a spinner," Cummins told reporters before Australia locked their XI on the eve of the Test.

With the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay set to host its first Test and fourth first-class fixture in the last decade, there is a layer of uncertainty over how conditions could play. Australia already have five seam options to summon, courtesy the presence of both Cameron Green and Beau Webster in the top seven.

The hosts studied footage from a four-day clash between Australia 'A' and India 'A' at the venue in 2024, where the pacers had a major say in proceedings. But Cummins refused to dwell overly on the sequence of events from a contest nearly two years ago.

"[It] looked like it kind of got better to bat on the longer the game went on, but it's a couple of years ago," Cummins said. "You take it as data, but it's not the [only factor affecting the selection] decision. It's largely conditions based."

Renshaw, meanwhile, is set for his first Test in over three years. Considering his average of 49.9 in last season's Sheffield Shield for Queensland, Australia will hope he is the answer to their top-order woes. While the jury is out over Marnus Labuschagne's spot on the back of his dwindling returns, he has retained his place in an under-fire team looking to draw level after a comprehensive defeat in the opening Test.