Watching Matthew Renshaw’s opening two Test innings brought a smile to the face of Test cricket fans in Australia
After enduring collapse after collapse over the last 24 months, it became increasingly apparent that the adages previously taught to all aspiring cricketers to “bat time” and “build an innings” had been superseded by “put the bowlers under scoreboard pressure” and “play your shots.”
In part, this is due to the shifting landscape in which cricket currently finds itself. The permeation of T20 cricket, for all the excitement it generates, has set a baseline expectation for many fans that the thrill-a-minute ride they find themselves on is the norm. The players themselves have also struggled to cope, with the art of defensive batting less evident with every passing Test match.
Enter Matthew Renshaw.
While he drew comparisons to Matthew Hayden in stance and stature, Renshaw appears to be cut from the same cloth as Mark Taylor, Simon Katich and Chris Rogers, who were all left handed, possessed a dogged determination and placed a high price on their wicket.
In just two Test innings he brought back memories of the ‘traditional’ Test opener, demanding Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott bowl to him by leaving ball after ball that wasn’t hitting the stumps.
In doing so, Renshaw not only showed a maturity far beyond his 20 years, but also an aptitude for defensive batting that has escaped many of his more experienced teammates over the last two years.
Renshaw faced a combined 183 deliveries in Adelaide and was only dismissed once by an attack that many are touting as the best fast bowling unit to tour Australia in recent memory.
On the first evening, he faced a fiery 12-over examination under lights from the South African quicks who no doubt possessed supreme confidence after skittling the Australians in Perth and Hobart.
Renshaw successfully negotiated the tricky period, with the crowd cheering every delivery he kept the Proteas at bay. While his output of ten runs won’t be remembered in the annals of history, the fact that he shielded Steve Smith, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson from the middle will be at the forefront of the selectors’ minds when the squad for the Gabba Test is picked.
In the second innings, as many were discussing his inability to score, Renshaw crucially played a hand in two significant partnerships with Warner (64) and Smith (61) respectively – proof that contributions to the cause can come in many forms.
Fittingly, Renshaw was at the crease when Australia completed the run chase, earning their first Test match victory in over nine months.
The art of Test cricket lies conspicuously in its name. For an opening batsman – over and above the score against their name – it tests their resolve, the ability to withstand sustained pressure and the capacity to develop partnerships as an innings unfolds.
Albeit a brief glimpse, Renshaw has shown he possesses the necessary ingredients to make a spot at the top of the order his own for some time to come.
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