Nathan Lyon avoids axe for second Test against Bangladesh as Ricky Ponting puts Australian selectors on notice

Nathan Lyon’s place in the Test XI is in the gun as Australia’s resistance to wholesale change returns to the spotlight ahead of the second Test against Bangladesh beginning on Saturday in Mackay.

Fresh off a shock defeat to the tourists in Darwin, the Aussies are set to introduce just one or two new players to the batting line-up.

Matt Renshaw will open, replacing the axed Jake Weatherald, while Josh Inglis is the only other option in the squad if selectors want to replace one of Marnus Labuschagne or Beau Webster.

The latter pair could both survive, though, with captain Pat Cummins revealing they could drop Lyon to instead prefer a four-pronged pace attack.

Scott Boland would be the likely addition while Webster could be called on for spin.

Cummins said the final decision rests on how the pitch looks on Saturday morning ahead of Mackay’s first ever men’s Test match.

Lyon has had a difficult past three years with soft-tissue injuries compounded by his omission from the team during last summer’s Ashes, Ricky Ponting last week saying he believes there is a “frustration still hanging over” the spinner as a result.

The 38-year-old finished the first Test against Bangladesh with figures of 1-125.

Regardless of the final make-up of the XI, the decision to once again overlook the next generation of batsmen has put chief selector George Bailey under more pressure with series against South Africa (away), New Zealand (home), India (away) and the Ashes (away) to come over the next 12 months.

Asked if the selectors’ heads are still in the sand over the frail top order, Ponting simply said “yeah, I think so”.

Former Test captain Ponting is one of several former players to have backed the need to regenerate through last summer’s Ashes and this series against Bangladesh.

“(The first Test XI) was the oldest team Australia’s put on the park since 1928. Only one player under the age of 30 and that’s Cameron Green,” the Channel 7 expert told Triple M’s Mick in the Morning.

“The current group, they’re going to have six or seven guys retiring at the same time. I’ve been there when I was captain. It’s not a nice place to be trying to regenerate all at once is really difficult.

“I think they missed a trick last week, I would’ve had a couple of young guys in for that Test match.