Renshaw released to play BBL finals leaving Australia without a spare batter for 24 hours

Australia's reserve batter Matt Renshaw will be released to play in the BBL qualifier for Brisbane Heat against Sydney Sixers on Friday night on the Gold Coast, which leaves Australia's Test team without a concussion replacement for 24 hours if a batter were to suffer a head knock against West Indies on day three of the Adelaide Test.

Renshaw was selected as the only spare batter in Australia's 13-man squad for the first Test but was always going to carry the drinks with Steven Smith opening the batting in place of the retired David Warner, and Cameron Green coming into the side to bat at No. 4.

Cricket Australia confirmed that Renshaw would fly from Adelaide to Gold Coast on Thursday night and return on Saturday morning.

It is one of the rare times Australia will not have a batting concussion substitute available at the ground in recent years, but they are confident they can fly Renshaw back at short notice from Gold Coast in the unlikely event of a mishap.

Previously, Australia have twice needed a concussion substitute in Tests but never at home. Marnus Labsuchagne was famously the first to fill the role in Test cricket at Lord's in 2019. Labuschagne was also a concussion sub in ODI cricket last year when Cameron Green was hit in South Africa. Renshaw was Australia's only other Test concussion sub when he came in for Warner during the second Test against India in Delhi last year.