Matt Renshaw rescued Australia, and then put them in the driver's seat, in the first Test against South Africa in Durban with an epic 190.
Matt Renshaw slams first hundred in almost a decade to rescue Australia
The 30-year-old walked in to bat at No.5 after Australia lost Marnus Labuschagne on the final delivery of the first session on day one. It soon went from bad to worse as Steve Smith fell three balls later, with the visitors falling to 84-4. Alex Carey and Beau Webster were dismissed shortly after, reducing the team to 124 for 6.
Renshaw, who opened the innings in the second Test against Bangladesh in August, steadied the ship along with captain Pat Cummins, with the pair adding 86 runs for the seventh wicket. After the dismissals of Cummins and Mitchell Starc, the southpaw farmed the strike and did the bulk of the scoring, while Nathan Lyon played a gritty hand in a mammoth 134-run stand, playing 92 deliveries for his 27 runs.
Renshaw brought up his century off 204 balls, laced with 10 fours, before reaching the 150-run mark off 310 balls with 16 fours. He eventually fell in the first over after tea for 190, his second Test hundred and first in almost a decade.
Matt Renshaw's epic knock reopens Australia batting order debate
This knock, however, has reopened Australia's batting order debate. Renshaw replaced Jake Weatherald as an opener against Bangladesh at Mackay, managing eight runs in solitary innings in what was his first Test in over three years. He was expected to open in South Africa but Nic Maddinson was preferred at the last minute after Cameron Green (abdominal strain) and Josh Inglis (finger) were ruled out of the opening Test with injuries.
Australia have been dealing with instability in the top order, and have tried five different openers (apart from Scott Boland) since Usman Khawaja's exit and seven different opening combinations since 2025. With Maddinson returning a 33-ball duck and Renshaw registering a big hundred, it does bring up the question whether Australia made a mistake by not giving the latter a consistent run at the top. It further complicates things as they could have to tweak the batting order again when Green returns.
Wisden editor Lawrence Booth praised Renshaw's knock, but wondered whether he would move to the top alongside Travis Head when Green returns. "A serious innings, this, from Renshaw. But when Green returns, does Renshaw move up to open?" he wrote.
A serious innings, this, from Renshaw. But when Green returns, does Renshaw move up to open?
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) October 10, 2026
Cricinfo's Andrew McGlashan had a similar question. "Superb hundred from Matt Renshaw, although fascinating to see what happens next or when Cameron Green is fit," he posted. "No. 5 wasn't the problem."
"Outstanding knock Matt Renshaw," Australian journalist Jacob Landsmeer posted. "Takes any ambiguity out of his selection from here on in, now where to bat him?"
Sports commentator David Lithgow felt Renshaw could have opened in the Test in Maddinson's stead, but conceded that the selectors got this call right. "Maddinson playing in this Test match was a clear mistake," he wrote. "I also couldn’t believe Renshaw didn’t open the batting. Selectors got that one right. A magnificent 100."
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