Australia made cricket history on Friday by fielding its oldest men's Test XI in 149 years during the opening match of the series against South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban. For the first time since the inception of Australian Test cricket, the team consisted entirely of players aged 30 or older, with an average age of 34.59 for the starting side.
The veteran lineup featured spinner Nathan Lyon, 38, as the oldest member, while Matt Renshaw, 30, was the youngest representative in the squad. The team included five players aged 35 or above: Lyon, Steve Smith (37), Mitchell Starc (36), Alex Carey (35), and Josh Hazlewood (35). The selection of 34-year-old Nic Maddinson, who was making his first Test appearance since 2016, ensured the team lacked any players in their 20s, a departure from previous selections that typically included younger rotating openers.
According to cricket statistician Ric Finlay, the XI is the seventh-oldest in Test history and the most senior Australian team fielded in approximately a century. Despite having an 18-member touring squad with only three players under the age of 30, including Cooper Connolly (23), Cameron Green (27), and Sam Harper (29), selectors opted for a highly experienced roster for the first of three World Test Championship fixtures.
After captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat, Australia faced a challenging start against South Africa’s pace attack. The hosts, despite missing key bowler Kagiso Rabada, limited Australia to 187/6 before play was halted due to bad light and rain. Marnus Labuschagne contributed 37 runs, while Steve Smith scored 25, a performance that allowed him to surpass Steve Waugh as Australia's third-highest run-scorer in men's Test history. The match remains ongoing as both sides look to gain an early advantage in the series.
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