Cricket

The Australian selectors rolled the dice, and lost.

In decisions that have raised plenty of eyebrows, veteran batsman Nic Maddinson was preferred over Cooper Connolly in the final XI, and then elevated to open the batting with Travis Head, even taking the first ball of the First Test against South Africa on a hot and humid day in Durban.

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Playing just the fourth Test of his career, and first since 2016, the 34-year-old never looked comfortable despite a healthy dose of luck.

Maddinson survived an early LBW appeal off Wiaan Mulder that would have been out if South Africa reviewed, with ball-tracking replays showing the ball crashing into leg stump.

MORE: Pat Cummins issues First Test warning: ‘We have to get better at that’

Struggling for rhythm and timing Maddinson was still on zero after facing 29 balls when his opening partner Head feathered a Mulder delivery down leg side and was caught behind for 9. 

Three agonising overs later Maddinson eventually chopped on off the bowling of towering South African quick Marco Jansen for a 33-ball duck, leaving Australia struggling at 2-24 after the first 49 minutes of play — and selectors with plenty of explaining to do.

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Maddinson records 2nd longest duck in Australian Test cricket history 

Maddinson’s innings broke the record for the most balls ever faced for a duck by an Australian opening batter in Test cricket, and was the second-worst of all time by any Australian, only ‘bettered’ by fast bowler Mike Whitney who lasted 42 balls for his duck against England in 1981 at Old Trafford.

After opening the batting for the Australians in the Second Test against Bangladesh, Matthew Renshaw was dropped down the order to number five and remains 46 not out at stumps with Australian captain Pat Cummins unbeaten on 33.

Before a worryingly small crowd for the opening day of such a major series, the Aussies had limped their way to 6-187 when bad light stopped play and will be desperate for the lower order to bat long and hard into day two.

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