{"id":934229,"date":"2026-10-19T22:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T22:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/934229\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T22:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T22:18:11","slug":"day-2-talking-points-elite-boland-sparks-grave-new-lyon-fear-as-expendable-aussie-revealed-in-batting-revamp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/934229\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 2 Talking Points \u2014 \u2018Elite\u2019 Boland sparks grave new Lyon fear as \u2018expendable\u2019 Aussie revealed in batting revamp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australia are well on top after another rain-reduced day in Gqeberha with South Africa 5\/97 at stumps on day two<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Only 30.4 overs were possible on Monday, largely due to a wet outfield after the rain finally cleared the Eastern Cape city, but the visitors made up for lost time with Scott Boland doubling his overnight wicket tally to have four for the innings.<\/p>\n

Watch Australia\u2019s Tour of South Africa Live & Exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports<\/a>. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Victorian has certainly repaid the selectors faith after Nathan Lyon was dumped for him, while Matt Renshaw\u2019s screamer at first slip rubbed salt into the Proteas\u2019 wounds with their skipper unable to find teammates willing to come along for the ride.<\/p>\n

Scroll down for the biggest talking points from day two of the second Test!<\/p>\n

HISTORIC LYON CONCERN AFTER LATEST AXING<\/p>\n

Former Australian leg spinner Kerry O\u2019Keeffe warned on day one that leaving out Nathan Lyon in this Test set a \u201cdangerous precedent\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Fox Cricket expert analyst is deeply concerned that Australia\u2019s second leading all-time Test wicket-taker will miss out on the chance to don the baggy green on one of the grandest stages of all due to Australia\u2019s selectors\u2019 willingness to forgo a specialist spinner. <\/p>\n

\u201cI feel desperately sorry for him because I know he wants to play the 150th anniversary Test against England in Melbourne,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe said on Kayo Sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pink ball Test. It\u2019s March. The ball will move. I was the spinner in that Test 50 years ago. It\u2019s unlikely Nathan Lyon plays in that Test.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the iconic games in a career and I think he\u2019ll miss it.\u201d<\/p>\n

RSA vs AUS: Test 2, Day 2 Highlights | 11:17<\/p>\n

O\u2019Keeffe\u2019s fear is certainly not unfounded.<\/p>\n

Lyon, who had a lengthy chat in the middle of St George\u2019s Park on Monday as officials waited for the ground to dry, has been left out of Australia\u2019s two most recent day-night encounters against the West Indies in Jamaica and against England at the Gabba.<\/p>\n

His record with the pink ball is strong, taking 43 wickets at 25.62 in 13 Tests, but in his most recent day-night appearance, Lyon sent down just one over against India in Adelaide in 2024.<\/p>\n

Grassy, seamer friendly conditions have meant Australia have opted for a four-man pace attack, as they have done this week in Gqeberha.<\/p>\n

Nathan Lyon in action during day five of the first Test.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

But the fact Lyon has been left out three times in the last 12 months based on conditions, does not mean the 38-year-old\u2019s career is done, according to O\u2019Keeffe.<\/p>\n

With the series finale in Cape Town, four home Tests against New Zealand, five Tests in India and an away Ashes to come across 2026\/2027, O\u2019Keeffe believes Lyon still have plenty more Test wickets to take.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not fake outrage,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a dangerous precedent to keep dropping the spinner. I can see why they\u2019ve done it, without question.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel for \u2018The GOAT\u2019. His numbers are not tailing off. His strike rate, his average is still very good.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, his body\u2019s ageing, but numerically, he\u2019s still the force he was.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lyon\u2019s former Australian and New South Wales teammate Moises Henriques agrees that the selection call is no reflection on the country\u2019s most prolific ever off spinner.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is still the trump (card) for the Australian team,\u201d Henriques said on Kayo Sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if they were picking another spinner than he\u2019d have some worries.\u201d<\/p>\n

WARNIE REMARK HIGHLIGHTS BOLAND COMPARISON<\/p>\n

Many an Australian cricket fan has likened Scott Boland to Stuart MacGill.<\/p>\n

The latter enjoyed a fine career, taking 208 wickets in 44 Tests, but he was always stuck behind the late, great Shane Warne with MacGill\u2019s appearances coming in Warne\u2019s absence or on the rare occasions Australia fielded dual leg spinners.<\/p>\n

Boland\u2019s plight has been similar.<\/p>\n

Since his whirlwind 6 for 7 on debut in the Boxing Day Test against England in 2021, Boland has never been a regular, much to the disbelief of former Protea Vernon Philander, who said his consistency and accuracy is extremely impressive.<\/p>\n

This is the 37-year-old\u2019s 20th Test, but he has ran the drinks in 31 Tests since that unforgettable debut.<\/p>\n

Last summer\u2019s Ashes series, due to injuries to Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, was the only time in his career that Boland has played an entire series.<\/p>\n

It is mind-blowing, and a testament to the quality of Australia\u2019s \u2018Big Three\u2019 that someone who has taken 86 Test wickets at 18.08 has been relegated to the sidelines so often.<\/p>\n

While not taking away from Boland\u2019s brilliance, former Australian leg spinner Kerry O\u2019Keeffe believes there is a slight caveat to the Victorian\u2019s incredible numbers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe does bowl on accommodating surfaces,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe said on Kayo Sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cShane Warne used to say that Stuart MacGill only plays when it turns. Scott Boland plays on pitches that suit him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose numbers, he is the genuine article. He is elite. But the reason he is playing in this Test match rather than the tweaker is that the conditions are going to suit him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boland v Lyon: Who SHOULD get the nod? | 04:16<\/p>\n

O\u2019Keeffe\u2019s claim is only somewhat true.<\/p>\n

Boland has featured in Test matches in India and England on surfaces that were far from seamer friendly, while his opportunities have mainly come due to availability rather than conditions like in Gqeberha.<\/p>\n

Former Australian fast bowler Brendon Julian said that Boland reminds him of Ryan Harris, who took 113 wickets at 23.52 in 27 Tests.<\/p>\n

Like Harris, Boland earned his opportunities after many years toiling away in Sheffield Shield cricket.<\/p>\n

Remarkably given how his Test career has panned out, Boland was initially regarded as an MCG specialist for his ability to extract life from what was once the most docile pitch in the country.<\/p>\n

And the key to his ability to get the ball to talk with his use of wobble seam, is like Harris, a deceptive pace.<\/p>\n

Do not be fooled by the speed gun being regularly in the 130s or by Alex Carey standing up to the stumps at times in the Ashes, Boland bowls a heavy ball that hits the bat, and often thigh pads, hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cEd Cowan rang me when I called him just medium pace,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe recalled from when Boland earned his maiden Test call-up. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe is far better than medium pace. All those who played against him in Shield when he made that Test debut endorsed that this is a Test match bowler.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former New South Wales captain Moises Henriques added with a laugh: \u201cFor someone who\u2019s played a lot against him in first-class cricket, it\u2019s been so good to see him troubling international cricketers and to go, \u2018It\u2019s not just me\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ollie Davies’ stunning Shield revival | 11:54<\/p>\n

PROTEAS CAPTAIN\u2019S WORDS FALL ON DEAF EARS<\/p>\n

As Temba Bavuma assessed the difference between his team and Australia in Durban in the first Test, he implored the batters to shelve the shoddy shots and put a price on their wicket.<\/p>\n

It sounded familiar, for Pat Cummins had been banging on about it for weeks as well and in the first Test, Matt Renshaw and the bowlers rose to the occasion in disciplined fashion for Australia.<\/p>\n

Bavuma endured a lean start to the series when failing in both innings in Durban, but he had shown leading into the second Test that he was prepared to match his deeds to his words.<\/p>\n

The South African skipper was the last Protea to leave the nets on both Thursday and Saturday at St George\u2019s Park and then after rain cut the first day short, he headed to the indoor nets for an extended session, facing throw downs as Fox Cricket\u2019s The Follow On<\/a> podcast<\/a> canvassed the major news lines for the first day.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just needs to bat time, to spend time out in the middle, and the runs will come. The bowlers will tire,\u201d former Proteas quick Vernon Philander said.<\/p>\n

South Africa\u2019s batting coach Ashwell Prince praised the discipline of Bavuma, who was unbeaten on 41 from 108 deliveries.<\/p>\n

\u201c(It was) tough conditions today and yesterday. Leaving the ball is important and Temba has done that really well, and I think where Temba has played really well today, getting into the 40s,\u201d Prince said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI see a lot going on TV in terms of analysis, obviously breaking things down, but I think a big a big part and a big positive in Temba\u2019s play today was decision making. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere tends to be a lot of discussion about technique and technical things, but I think decision making so far from him was was exceptional.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Africa’s Temba Bavuma plays a shot on day two of the second Test.Source: AFP<\/p>\n

The topic of discussion for Day 2 will be the fact that those teammates have failed to follow the example set by their leader given the dismal shots that led to a couple of dismissals.<\/p>\n

Opener Marques Ackerman and No.5 Matthew Breetzke, who both came into the side for this Test, will be lamenting the manner with which they got out on the rain-marred day.<\/p>\n

The latter\u2019s wild waft to a wide one from Mitchell Starc, in particular, was lamentable.<\/p>\n

But Katich said it was a symptom of a broader issue for the South Africans, who have played a bare minimum of Test cricket since winning the World Test Championship last June.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has joined the club of South African gropers,\u201d Katich said on SEN.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey just cannot control their hands outside off stump. We saw it last week in Durban. We have seen it again this week. There are technical issues with a number of players in this batting order.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kayo Sports expert analyst Mark Waugh said during the Durban Test the biggest issue for the hosts was that the batting order was filled with reasonable, but not great, batsmen.<\/p>\n

He stressed the same thing again during the rain delays on the first day when saying he was not convinced in the class of the Proteas top-order.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t have a world class batter,\u201d Waugh said. \u201cThey all average 35 and it\u2019s what they really lack.\u201d<\/p>\n

Boland strikes twice before rain hits | 02:31<\/p>\n

But Prince, who praised the performance of Scott Boland, said the conditions were challenging and were likely to become tougher.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe still have to bowl as well. The ball is moving around. I think the ball will move around as the Test match goes on,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s already some divots out there. Obviously, with the weather conditions before the match, plus during the match with moisture and rain, the pitch may be starting out a bit softer than usual. So there are divots already developing on the surface.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the sun comes out, that might firm up and the ball might move around a little bit faster. We say you can only tell what the pitch does (when) both teams are batted. I think there\u2019s still quite a bit of time left in the game, so anything\u2019s still possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

A FEELING OF DREAD<\/p>\n

As Simon Katich was describing the task facing any new batsmen that comes to the crease when Scott Boland is on song, one could imagine the dread they would be feeling.<\/p>\n

It was vital, he said, to be clocked on immediately. Feet had to be active. To be stuck on the crease was a recipe for a trip back to the pavilion. They needed to be proactive but prudent.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour game has to be in complete order otherwise he will expose it. Every ball is on song and it is a challenge,\u201d Katich said on SEN from St George\u2019s Park in Gqeberha.<\/p>\n

There is no let up. There are no freebies. That is what Test cricket is about against this type of bowling. You have to have your wits about you \u2026 because Boland is all over you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The problem is that even if you follow those tips, there is no guarantee of survival.<\/p>\n

Debutant Marques Ackerman is a case in point. In the second over he faced from the Victorian on Monday afternoon, he strode down the pitch in a proactive manner.<\/p>\n

The tactic worked for the English in the United Kingdom in 2023, but less so on their disastrous Ashes tour of Australia last summer, and it flamed out for Ackerman as well.<\/p>\n

The approach proved akin to poking the bear. The very next ball Boland snared his man, out edging to the wicketkeeper when deceived by the swing and width of the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is beautifully bowled again from Scotty Boland. Once again, the South Africans can\u2019t help themselves. It was not a genuine half-volley,\u201d Katich said.<\/p>\n

Boland, for his part, said the ability to bowl in the middle at St George\u2019s Park in recent days enabled him to start the Test feeling the rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u201cProbably it\u2019s more a mindset of just believing that I can, when I come into a series, if it\u2019s not the first game or if I haven\u2019t played cricket for a while, that I\u2019ll find my line and length pretty quickly,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think having such good training conditions here, where we\u2019re getting centre wickets and obviously bowling to some of the best batters in the world, you actually sharpen up pretty quick.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut then also leaning on like guys like Pat (Cummins) and Josh (Hazlewood) and Ronnie (McDonald) and James Franklin as our bowling coach, they gave me a lot of belief that I can sort of impact the game straight away.\u201d<\/p>\n

YOUNG BATTERS URGED TO PUT MORE ON THE BOARD<\/p>\n

It was fitting on a day where a few of the nation\u2019s brightest young batting talents got good scores under their belt in the Sheffield Shield<\/a>, but failed to kick on to make it a statement that Moises Henriques had a strong message for the next generation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat can you say as a selector other than continue to score some runs? Make the decisions harder for us,\u201d the former three-format international all-rounder said on Kayo Sports.<\/p>\n

\u201cMake the decisions for us, simply by weight of runs. Obviously, they\u2019ve felt that whoever has been scoring the runs hasn\u2019t been knocking hard enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the second round of Shield action got underway, Ollie Davies backed up his insane 253 with 52 off 58 balls, while his New South Wales opening partner Sam Konstas made a patient 71 off 142 at the WACA.<\/p>\n

It came as Nathan McSweeney, who was running out of partners, scored a dogged 54 off 150 deliveries at the Adelaide Oval.<\/p>\n

It was an innings that typified former Australian leg spinner Kerry O\u2019Keeffe\u2019s assessment of McSweeney.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s very old school,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe soaks up a lot of balls. He has a limited stroke range, but he values his wicket and that is the key. He\u2019s a one, two or three. He can\u2019t bat any lower than that.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s an option. He didn\u2019t get enough runs for Australia A in India, but he\u2019s come back and got runs. So, he\u2019s already putting something in the bank. They like him. They see him as a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathan McSweeney of South Australia.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Henriques admitted that the decision to call-up his former NSW teammate in Maddison caught him \u201coff guard\u201d, but stressed that the experienced crop within Shield cricket are still the most reliable to make the step up to international level right now.<\/p>\n

Sam Harper, who Kerry O\u2019Keeffe regarded as the best opener of last Shield season, is also in South Africa, but Henriques named three players with Test cricket experience as the ones who will be front of mind for the Australian selectors if change is needed.<\/p>\n

The timing was fitting given one of them scored a century at the WACA on Monday.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re talking, who are your most experienced batters I can pick from to come out here and play this Test match, I think it\u2019s Nic Maddinson, (Peter) Handscomb and Kurtis Patterson,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re the three. I don\u2019t know how Handscomb and Kurtis feel about the decision given Nic hasn\u2019t played much Shield cricket, but for me, if you\u2019ve got a happy and confident Nic Maddinson, you\u2019ve got someone who can win a game for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Henriques added: \u201cKeep in mind, Nic Maddinson\u2019s come off a hundred in the one-day game just before he went away. Scott Boland played in that game. It was a low-scoring game. The wicket was doing a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maddinson may need to lean on that performance against the white-ball at the Junction Oval in Gqeberha.<\/p>\n

The early signs show that life may be tough for batters against the new Kookaburra, and like Jake Weatherald previously, O\u2019Keeffe believes Maddinson could quickly find himself on the scrap heap if he does not rise to the challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaddo\u2019s expendable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis\u2019ll be different gravy when he bats in this innings. When he batted in the second innings after the 33-ball duck in the first, they gave him width for a start. Australia had a 106-run lead, momentum in the game and no Rabada.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a different circumstance when he goes out to bat (this time). He\u2019s good enough. We know that. His temperament is phlegmatic.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe did a job in that second dig. He started the party and Australia rattled along at five-and-a-half an over and gave themselves plenty of time to bowl them out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hazlewood praises Renshaw Test revival | 01:04<\/p>\n

WHERE SHOULD RENSHAW BE BATTING?<\/p>\n

Following on from Kerry O\u2019Keeffe\u2019s comments about Nic Maddinson being \u201cexpendable\u201d, Moises Henriques believes Matt Renshaw needs to return to opening.<\/p>\n

\u201cI prefer him at the top of the order,\u201d Henriques said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s done a fantastic job at five, but he\u2019s one of those guys that you can build a batting order around. He\u2019s a ball soaker. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think for that Australian batting order, he can allow the other boys to play while he soaks up the pressure at the other end.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that does not mean necessarily mean Maddison should make way.<\/p>\n

In fact, Henriques is a big believer that Travis Head should return to No.5 and dismisses any suggestions of Steve Smith batting at No.3 if Marnus Labuschagne was to be displaced.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like Steve at four and Travis at five,\u201d Henriques said.<\/p>\n

\u201cTravis can turn the game so quickly at five.\u201d<\/p>\n

Usman Khawaja made no secret of the fact he would have preferred to bat in the middle order than open following his recall to the Test side during the 2021\/22 Ashes.<\/p>\n

Henriques sees similarities between Khawaja\u2019s resurgence and Renshaw\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe saw Usman Khawaja bring his Test career back on the back of his reverse sweep and his sweep when he went to Dubai against Pakistan (in 2018),\u201d Henriques said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen Renshaw here, in his second phase of his Test career, start to bring out some shots he didn\u2019t have in his first phase.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there\u2019s a big difference between just bringing a shot out because you\u2019ve got it and bringing it out because I\u2019ve got this shot down to an art where it\u2019s now a safe option.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was able to move the ball around. The ball was spinning last Test match, but he was just able to keep their spinners under constant pressure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Steve Smith of Australia celebrates a catch during the first Test.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

With Renshaw at the top and Smith and Head acting as key pillars in the middle, Henriques believes Australia would be well structured for their big series to come.<\/p>\n

Henriques knows Smith well having come through the ranks of NSW cricket together, and is sure that Australia can continue to plan around the 37-year-old – who has scored 10,972 Test runs at 55.69, behind only Allan Border (11,174) and Ricky Ponting (13,378) among Australians.<\/p>\n

Henriques stopped short of \u201cpromising\u201d that this summer\u2019s SCG Test will not be Smith\u2019s last on home soil, but believes he is well-placed to extend his career beyond next year\u2019s Ashes in England.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019ll keep going as long as he thinks he\u2019s adding value to the cricket team,\u201d Henriques said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe time where he feels like he\u2019s not doing what he should be doing for that Australian cricket is when he\u2019ll step away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019ll be any time soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s obviously playing really well. He\u2019s moving really well. Still wants it in a field, the hunger is there.\u201d<\/p>\n

While O\u2019Keeffe believes that Smith and his wife Dani\u2019s decision to relocate abroad will be a key factor in prolonging his time in the baggy green.<\/p>\n

\u201cManhattan, New York has been good for him. It seems to have freshened him up,\u201d O\u2019Keeffe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe spends a lot of time there. He loves the anonymity, but it freshens him up for hard-nosed cricket when he comes back to Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australia are well on top after another rain-reduced day in Gqeberha with South Africa 5\/97 at stumps on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":934230,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-934229","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934229","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=934229"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934229\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/934230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}