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If a batter were to take a head knock against the West
Indies on day three of the Adelaide Test, Australia’s reserve batter Matt
Renshaw would be free to play in the Brisbane Heat’s BBL qualifier against the
Sydney Sixers on Friday night on the Gold Coast. This means that Australia’s
Test team would be without a concussion replacement for a full day.
In Australia’s 13-man Test team for the opening match,
Renshaw was the only backup batsman chosen. However, he was always going to be
the main man, with Cameron Green entering the game at No. 4 and Steven Smith
starting the batting in lieu of the departed David Warner.
Renshaw will take a Thursday night flight from
Adelaide to the Gold Coast and return on Saturday morning, according to Cricket
Australia.
Australia is sure they can fly Renshaw back from Gold
Coast at short notice in the unlikely case of an accident, but it is one of the
rare occasions in recent years that they will not have a batting concussion
substitute available at the ground.
Australia has previously required a concussion
substitution twice during Test matches, but never at home. Famously, in 2019
Marnus Labsuchagne was the first to take on the duty in Test cricket at Lord’s.
When Cameron Green was hit in South Africa during last year’s ODI cricket
match, Labuschagne was also a substitute for concussions. Renshaw replaced
Warner during the second Test against India in Delhi last year, making him
Australia’s only other Test substitute for concussions.