Australia weighed up launching an all-pace attack in a must win Test against Bangladesh in Mackay, but champion off-spinner Nathan Lyon has earned a reprieve for the vital clash.

In an unusual move given the practice when Lyon has been fit for red ball Tests in recent years, the Aussies opted against naming its XI a day out from the second Test in a match Australia must win to square the series.

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Australia captain Pat Cummins, who confirmed Matt Renshaw would open after being recalled to the squad earlier this week in place of Jake Weatherald, said the make-up of the attack was weighing on the minds of selectors.

“(We are) trying to give it another day to see whether it’s four quicks or a spinner,” Cummins said.

“It’s largely conditions based. If you think there’s a good chance in that first or second first bowling innings (that) you’re going to take 10 wickets mainly with the quicks relatively quickly, and then perhaps the fourth innings isn’t going to break up, that’s a lot of the decision.

“Then probably related to that is having someone like Scotty Boland on the bench, who obviously is very class, I think that’s why the conversation always comes up.”

But after coach Andrew McDonald was involved in a further assessment of the pitch during Australia’s practice session on Friday, the Aussies are set to go with the status quo, with Lyon to be retained.

Fox Cricket’s expert analysts said that while Mackay tended to flatten out, it could be spicy early, which is why the Australians wanted to assess the pitch further before making a call after a week of “soul searching” according to Cummins.

Curator Peter Kazakoff said the timing of the Test in late August could make the pitch more seam friendly than usual, but noted that history suggests that the deck will take spin as the match progresses.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expects the pitch in Mackay will be livelier than the deck in Darwin but he has no plans to change from the pace-spin attack that caused difficulty for Australia.

“Before we came here we prepared for a bouncy track with the series against Zimbabwe,” he said.

“The batters have used the net sessions in the last couple of days to prepare, so I think they will cope with the extra bounce.

“I’ve said many times that the spin attack we have is very experienced and can bowl to any conditions. They know how to bowl to these conditions so I had the luxury to go with three (pace bowlers) and two (spinners).”

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Irrespective of the XI, the fact Australia was considering overlooking Lyon is another indication this is a team in flux ahead of what is a massive 12 months for the Test side.

After badly injuring a hamstring in Adelaide, Lyon spent several months recuperating before returning for what proved to be a debacle in Darwin when the Australian team suffered a historic loss on home soil to the Tigers.

The 38-year-old finished with figures of 1-102 from 31 overs in the first innings, though those figures would have been improved if Steve Smith had taken a chance offered by centurion Tanzid Hasan when on 62, and 0-23 in the second innings.

Former Australian captain Alyssa Healy flagged the prospect that Scott Boland could replace Lyon in the attack after the nine-wicket loss in Darwin if the conditions in the Queensland regional city did not look conducive to spin.

“It can start a little bit spicy up there. I’ve played a lot of T20 cricket there and they’ve left a lot of grass on the wicket, so you have to see what they provide,” she said.

“Nathan Lyon won’t like this, but do they go for four seamers? I’ll give him a hug later. Sorry, Nath.”

But fellow Kayo Sports’ expert Kerry O’Keeffe said Lyon improved as the Test progressed, as did his fast-bowling colleagues, and said the off-spinner was hurt by the failure of the Aussie batters to post a significant score.

“I think the vibes are strong but in racing parlance, he will be better for the run,” he said.

“He is getting over the top pretty well … and statistically his numbers are very strong. He is a little bit frustrated by the lack of runs he has to bowl behind. That can tinker with the psyche of a spinner. With Australia all out for 198 in the first innings, it hurts the spinner.”

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MACKAY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 19: Nathan Lyon of Australia warms up during an Australian Test squad nets session at Great Barrier Reef Arena on August 19, 2026 in Mackay, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Cummins, meanwhile, said he felt the Aussies were in good condition despite the loss last week and was confident they will rebound in Mackay.

“I think if we play really well and we lose, you feel like you need to do some soul searching,” Cummins said.

“I certainly felt like we didn’t play anywhere near our best, and they played really well and they deserved to win. So, I think it’s going back to when we play well. Fortunately we’ve got a decent body of work to look back on. I thought our prep was excellent, so I think everyone’s in a pretty good nick. So it’s just about translating our form into actually a good result.”

The Aussie skipper said that Renshaw had demonstrated during recent white-ball tours of the sub-continent that he is batting with confidence and is hopeful he will be able to build a decent platform at the top of the order.

“Some of the chat about Renners in the past was he could look different from day to day,” he said.

“Now when you get to the back half of your career as a batter, you want to know what you look like at your best and I think he does that. The hope with Renners is (he) keeps bringing (his) best version every day, be nice and sharp and put pressure on the bowlers.”

MACKAY, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 19: Nathan Lyon of Australia warms up during an Australian Test squad nets session at Great Barrier Reef Arena on August 19, 2026 in Mackay, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

The message to Marnus Labuschagne, meanwhile, is to understand the work he has put in over the past six months should be enough for him to bat with freedom at the crease.

“He has been the number one batter in the world, or close to it, (and) he’s scored thousands of Test runs, (so) we know it’s in him,” Cummins said.

“The last couple of months – I know it is only training and match simulation – but I thought he has been as sharp as in a long time, and that’s me bowling at him and getting that feedback.

“As a bowler, it feels like the margins are really small when someone like Marnus or Steve (Smith) is at the best form. Last week was a bit of a blip, but our message to Marn’ is you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, (t0) trust the work he has put in over the last six months.”

The Australian captain expressed sympathy for the axed Weatherald, who has vowed to win back his spot in the Australian team, saying the left-hander ultimately did not make enough runs to justify his selection.

“(It is) a really tough one for Wethers. I thought he was awesome around the group, really, the way he goes about it,” he said.

“But over the course of six Test matches (he) just didn’t quite score the runs that he or we would have liked. Like anyone, (the message is to) go back and knock the door back down.

“I suspect he will be back for a full Shield season, so go and show you’re better than anyone else in that competition.”

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