Australia greats want change as Cummins ponders way forward

Australia great and former national selector Mark Waugh has put the onus on the Aussies' top-order following their shock nine-wicket loss to Bangladesh in Darwin.

The ICC World Test Championship pacesetters fell to their second loss of the current cycle when humbled by Bangladesh at Marrara Stadium and have little time to lick their wounds ahead of the second and final Test of the series in Mackay that commences on Saturday.

Only two members of Australia's 13-player squad - Josh Inglis and Scott Boland - missed selection for that first Test in Darwin, though the Aussies have the option of calling on other players from outside the squad should they wish to make changes for the second Test.

Waugh, a former national selector and an Australian batting legend that scored 20 Test centuries during his international career, suggested something was amiss in the Aussies' top-order and newcomer Jake Weatherald and veteran No.3 Marnus Labuschagne were the players under the most pressure to hold their spot going forward.

“It’s really about the batting and the top three," Waugh told Fox Cricket.

“OK, we’ll leave Travis Head (opening) there for the moment. I don’t think he’s an opener, but anyway, he’s going to open.

“It’s Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne. Those guys need runs. There’s no doubt about it.

“I’m just wondering whether the selectors have said them to before this Test: ‘OK, you’ve got these two Test matches to prove your spot in the team’.

“I’m concerned about Jake Weatherald. Looking at him, he’s trying to tinker with his technique. I think there’s lot of things going on in his head.

“He’s making life very difficult for himself and Marnus, we said he batted better in the second innings. But he could have been out earlier a number of times.

“He hasn’t made big runs for a while. He’s got runs in the bank, which is sort of keeping him in the side.

“I think it’s a 50/50 call on these guys for the next Test. I think Weatherald’s probably the one in the biggest danger. Marnus, I’d give him another go.”

If Australia do decide to make changes to their batting group for the second Test against Bangladesh then Inglis is the most likely option given he is already in the squad, while the likes of Matthew Renshaw, Ollie Peake or Nathan McSweeney are other batters that could come into contention.

Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden suggested a left-field approach, with the ICC Hall of Famer believing Head could find his best form with a move to No.3 and that the Aussies should look at including two new openers for the second Test.

"What I would do is actually put Travis Head at No.3 and then I would start to look for a refresh and a refit actually at that top of the order," Hayden said on Channel Seven.

"I want some experience at the top. I want to see Renshaw, and I've been saying this for at least 12 months, I think he is match fit. I think the selectors knew what he was, but now I want to see what he actually is."

Australia captain Pat Cummins was quizzed about the likelihood of changes following the shock loss in the first Test and the Test skipper said selectors would require 24-48 hours before they make any decision.

"I think it's a balance of 'It's one Test' – but it's also a little bit of a trend as well," he said. 

"So it's trying to work out, do you need to intervene now, or do you let it play out and think (the current group) is the way forward?

"So I think that's the question over the next couple days. We'll sit down and have a think, selectors will have a think. Is there something there that's going to take us forward, or is it something starting to become a trend that we think needs to be changed?

"If we need to make some changes to our style, we've got a week or so, and we better do it pretty quickly."

Australia Test squad for Bangladesh: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Series schedule:

First Test: Bangladesh won by nine wickets
Second Test: August 22-26, Mackay