Picking Maddinson over 23-year-old Cooper Connolly to replace injured all-rounder Cameron Green, Australia named an entire XI aged over 30 for the first time in their history.
The other new name in their ageing batting line-up from last winter’s Ashes was 30-year-old Matt Renshaw, who made his debut 10 years ago.
Maddinson played on to his stumps after 32-year-old Travis Head was caught down the leg side for nine.
Afterwards, Marnus Labuschagne, also 32, batted nicely for 37 before falling lbw to Wiaan Mulder to the last ball before lunch. He has now gone 44 Test innings without a Test century.
And then, three balls after the resumption, 37-year-old Steve Smith edged Jansen to gully and later 35-year-old Alex Carey and 32-year-old Beau Webster fell in the space of three Anrich Nortje deliveries.
That left Renshaw to dig in to extend Australia’s innings alongside captain Pat Cummins in the gloom.
Before this Test, legendary former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said Australia’s selectors were “disrespecting first-class cricket” by picking Maddinson, whose two 50-over innings last month and four appearances in last winter’s Big Bash were his only professional appearances since March 2025.
Even Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg had to defend the lack of succession planning during the lunch interval.
“Clearly our selectors have a firm view he is a talent and that is why they picked him,” Greenberg told SEN.
“I understand why there has been debate but I am not going to sit here and get into selections.”
This Test is the third in Australia’s possible run of 21 before the end of next summer’s Ashes – an unprecedented pile-up of fixtures that includes this tour against the world Test champions, a four-Test home series against New Zealand, a five-Test tour of India, a possible World Test final before latest contest with England.
The selectors can point to the fact that, other than Jake Weatherald who struggled in the Ashes and has since been discarded, no frontline batters averaged more than 40 in last year’s Sheffield Shield.
By ending the day 46 not out, Renshaw also quietened the questions around why he was batting five here, having been recalled as an opener to play Bangladesh in August. The recovery led by the left-hander may yet win Australia this Test on a tricky pitch expected to deteriorate.
But, with 36-year-old Michael Neser and 37-year-old Scott Boland, picked as the back-up bowlers to Cummins, 33, Josh Hazlewood, 35, and Mitchell Starc, 36, the wider doubts around Australia’s aging Test side are unlikely to go away.
Not everyone gets that fairytale.