The Test team’s five biggest problems: Is Lyon an automatic selection?

Top order batting – Pat Cummins asked his batting order to get through a tricky first couple of hours on a fresh pitch in Darwin and they were completely unable to find a way to do so against a diligent but far from fearsome Bangladesh attack. Jake Weatherald’s perpetual motion at the crease speaks of technical tweaks but also nerves, and it is tough to see him keeping his place in Mackay.

Marnus Labuschagne has already been dropped and recalled once in the past year, but is still struggling to find his best. Then there’s Travis Head and the question of his best position. Former opener Matthew Hayden was one seasoned voice to call for Matt Renshaw and Sam Konstas at the top, with Head moving to three.

Tellingly, Cummins spoke not of a one-off problem but of a trend, meaning that the team’s batting difficulties will be the chief topic of internal conversation this week. He was also open about the selectors’ ability to make change: “Every Aussie Test we do you can kind of pick whatever, it’s not a World Cup squad. You’ve got a lot of available guys who are ready to go.”

As Alyssa Healy put it on Fox Cricket: “It’s almost like they’ve underestimated themselves a little bit, the Bangladeshis. I mean, the whole of Australia probably did as well, but it’s almost like their humble approach has worked for them. We’ve got carried away with how big this summer is, but this is a wake-up call for Australia. Probably what they needed as well, after breezing through last summer.”

Nathan Lyon – In his first game back from hamstring surgery, 38-year-old Lyon was ineffective, certainly relative to the Bangladesh spinners, and also dropped a vital catch. There is no doubt Australia will need Lyon’s skills in India next year, but questions must be asked about whether he is an automatic selection, either ahead of Scott Boland or also the younger left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann.

Meanwhile, Lyon needs to regain his ability to deceive batsmen in the air – Bangladesh had few problems reading his length here, despite a helpful breeze at times.

Cummins said of Boland: “With Scotty, we all know how good he is, so we’ll turn up in Mackay, have a look at the pitch and work out your best bowling group. But with someone like Scotty in the squad you’re always trying to find a way to fit him in, he’s that good.”

Domestic pitches – Something an excellent Darwin surface exposed was how Bangladesh’s batters were better equipped to keep out good balls and bat time, a theme that runs well down the ranks into the Sheffield Shield.