Aussie hero\u2019s perfect TEN, Cummins\u2019 classy showing as Marnus teases \u2014 Player Ratings<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cYou may have seen through the lunchtime break that he has started running and he\u2019s progressing well, and as I said before, first Test match, we\u2019re confident that he can play a part in the series at some point. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got a few things to go through in the next little three to four days. He\u2019ll progress that, and on the back of a soft tissue injury, we do it can accelerate along with this. So even if you asked me a week ago where he would at, he is doing set running and doing all the physical work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Similarly with Josh Inglis, the Australians will assess how he progresses against the red ball this week in Gqeberha, which was formerly known as Port Elizabeth, but the reserve wicketkeeper is at least back in the nets after breaking his finger.<\/p>\n
The Australian coach said the manner with which the tourists responded from a position of peril on the first day to dominate the Test as it progressed was a demonstration of their resilience as much as their ruthless focus to finish off the Proteas.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny Test win is satisfying, but to see the team at six for 124, I suppose, to show that resilience, and also still a craft in that situation in particular to be able to play that way … that\u2019s played out well in significant moments,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe also spoke about having to win the smaller moments across this Test series in its entirety, and the small moments mean lower order batting, so while Renshaw played an incredible innings, he had to have someone down the other end to allow that contribution.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the dominance of the victory in the opening Test has not settled questions surrounding the make-up of the Australian side given the queries surrounding the availability of Green and Inglis.<\/p>\n
Even the question as to who will open remains up in the air despite Matthew Renshaw\u2019s stunning performance in Durban, for he batted down the order in part because selectors considered his excellence against spin would see him better suited at No.5.<\/p>\n
So does that mean Renshaw is now the permanent No.5 or will he revert back to being the opener he was recalled as in August?<\/p>\n
\u201cI think every time we plan out against an opponent or surface, we\u2019re really open-minded to what that means,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose the external review on that is that … at certain times, this person is an opener, this person is a middle-order bat, I think we\u2019re more open-minded than that. But it doesn\u2019t make it right either. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019ll assess what we need to do for the next Test in PE … and see what the surface potentially holds there. So in terms of where Matt Renshaw will bat, we will work through that.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cameron Green was in significant pain after being struck in the stomach in Potchefstroom late last month and is yet to resume batting in the nets. (AP Photo\/Themba Hadebe)Source: AP<\/p>\n
Spin did not prove to be as big a factor as anticipated at Kingsmead Stadium and the Australians are wary of committing to anything prior to assessing what will be on offer at St George\u2019s Park next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we view Nic Maddinson in the same way that we view Matt Renshaw, that they can bat one, two, three, four or five, and potentially even at six,\u201d McDonald said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to create that versatility in our order and injury has pushed us into this conversation as well. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not like we set out and designed that at the start of it, but do we like (his) ability to play against quicks, and yes, do we like Matthew Renshaw\u2019s ability to play against spin? That is yes also. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s about finding out the best place against the opposition … we\u2019ve got that balance right here for that but that may not always be the place.\u201d<\/p>\n
“He’s a superstar!” Pat Cummins | 15:48<\/p>\n
McDonald believes the selection of Maddinson was proven correct with his dashing second innings of 48, which followed an extraordinarily scratchy 33-ball drought on the first morning.<\/p>\n
The Australian coach declared the critiques that flew following his first innings premature. He also said that just because Maddinson played with dare in his second dig, it did not necessarily mean he would always attack from the get-go.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Nic Maddinson is a very mature player who will assess the conditions,\u201d he said<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a heavy critique in his first innings. He left the ball well. There was a lot of offer (for the bowlers). He probably played at a ball that early all he had been leaving.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that you\u2019ll see him just go out there and throw the bat at them. It is the same with Travis Head. When they do get away, they will put extreme pressure on the opposition. But there are times in Test cricket when opening the batting that you do have to respect the conditions and the bowler.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a difficult time. The method he was applying to his dismissal was the way he had read that scenario. He is a mature player and he reads the game well.\u201d <\/p>\n
Australia’s Cameron Green sends down a delivery on the first day of the first cricket Test match between Australia and Bangladesh at Marrara Stadium in Darwin on August 13, 2026. (Photo by William WEST \/ AFP) \/ –IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE–Source: AFP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cameron Green has taken a step forward in his recovery but the Western Australian remains in significant doubt…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":928340,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44,85],"class_list":["post-928339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=928339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/928340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=928339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=928339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=928339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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