Forget Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, it is Matt Renshaw who remains Australia’s best long-term Test opening prospect.
Australia’s opening combination has been in a state of flux for the past 18 months. In that time Australia incredibly have fielded seven different opening pairs in the space of only 14 Tests – Renshaw and Joe Burns, followed by Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja, Finch and Harris, Khawaja and Harris, Burns and Harris, Warner and Bancroft, and Warner and Harris.
With Warner, Bancroft and Harris all having failed miserably in the Ashes, Australia’s opening problem has deepened.
Harris has been given a good run in the Test team over the past year but averages only 24 after nine Tests.
Bancroft, meanwhile, has a flawed technique and an average of 26 after ten Tests. Unless either of those batsmen tear the Shield to shreds next month then they should not be in contention for the first Test against Pakistan.
Burns surely must be ahead of them in the queue if he starts the Shield season strongly. Perhaps no other Aussie batsmen in the past decade has been as harshly treated by the Test selectors as Burns, who averages 40 with the bat and has four tons from 16 Tests.
I was saying Boo-urns: Joe Burns. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Renshaw, along with Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, represents the future of this Australian Test batting line-up.
Labuschagne has cemented his Test spot and Head deserves an immediate recall after his harsh axing in the Ashes. But Renshaw has a lot of work to do to get back in the baggy green.
Two-and-a-half years ago the left hander was arguably the most promising young Test batsman in the world. Nine innings into his Test career he was averaging a tick under 60 and had just made an excellent start to his first Test series in India with scores of 68, 31 and 60 in very difficult batting conditions against an elite attack.
The ease with which he had handled spin and pace in Pune and Bangalore was extraordinary for a 20-year-old, particularly given how many veteran Aussie batsmen had floundered in India again and again.
Renshaw had never played in Asia before that, which made his success all the more notable. Then last year he went to the other country where Aussie batsmen routinely have failed over the past decade and was an immediate success.
Playing in Division One of English county cricket Renshaw cracked 513 runs at 51 for Somerset, including three tons from six matches. Most of those runs were made at the start of the county season when the weather is cool and moist and the pitches are damp and bowler-friendly.
At the start of the last Australian summer then, with Warner still banned, Renshaw seemed a huge chance to be recalled for the home Tests against India. Then he proceeded to have a shocking Shield season, averaging 21 across nine matches.
Yet I still feel as if Renshaw is just one or two big knocks away from rediscovering his touch. Three years ago he looked to me to be a lock to play 100 Tests. My opinion hasn’t changed. This kind of hardship early in a cricketer’s career often steels them.
Australian batting legends like Steve Smith, Ricky Ponting, Matt Hayden, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn each were dropped early in their Test careers and rebounded with vigour.
Each of them was as old or older than Renshaw (23) is now by the time they nailed down their Test spot.
Ponting was 23 years old by the time he became a Test regular, Smith was 24, Hayden and Langer were 28, and Martyn was 29.
Renshaw still has potentially another dozen years left as a first-class batsman. His patience, willingness to graft, and comfort against both pace and spin make him comfortably Australia’s best long-term opening prospect.
It won’t surprise me to see Renshaw begin to dominate domestic cricket once again very soon.
Yawn of the Dead
Guest
how much fun is this? "upon return" is not the same as "for the rest of his career until retirement" "when he came back he was Better". he was better. when he came back. and for a few years after that. and then he wasn't. After a reasonable effort away in India, Slater averaged 47.6 in Pakistan, 46 in the Ashes where he was superb, 35 in the Windies when they still had bowlers, and then 45 in Sri Lanka. mid-40s it is. but of course, it isn't. none of this really proves anything, but, boy, isn't it a great way to avoid thinking about the Grand Final?
Noah Barling
Roar Pro
Hopefully he is in the squad well before then, but I would like to see him do the rounds of Shield and County cricket for a few seasons, giving up the BBL and T20 cricket. Which is why CA should use T20 money to reward those who dedicate themselves to long form
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
48.3 is almost 50. *Yes it is. Thought you'd like some accuracy.* when he did come back, he WAS better – he got 3 tons in the 98-9 Ashes. *In his first 'full' (3T) series back he averaged 27.0. And I wasn't aware that you were only counting one Ashes series of his "come back". An odd criteria, but then...* he had series averages in the 20s before being dropped. *In his last full series before he was first dropped he averaged 77.0* [he] averaged mid 40s upon return. *Nope. He averaged 39.1* *he declined after that again, but that’s your story, not mine.* Nope. It's yours. "when he did come back, he WAS better" i never said he found form in the Shield. so go whoa yourself *No, you said that Renshaw had to. I was pointing out that "finding form" isn't always necessary for some players to get selected.*
Yawn of the Dead
Guest
48.3 is almost 50 when he did come back, he WAS better - he got 3 tons in the 98-9 Ashes. he had series averages in the 20s before being dropped. he averaged mid 40s upon return. he declined after that again, but that's your story, not mine. i never said he found form in the Shield. so go whoa yourself
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
I think his technique is sound but he has no runs and without them he’s going nowhere. I also don’t think failing in the Ashes is a black mark - all the top 3’s did bar Burns who was initially lucky then very good
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
"Slater was dropped when averaging almost 50 and came back 18 months later even better." Whoa there Yawnie! Let's get some facts right. When Slater was dropped in Jan96 he was averaging 48.3. He was recalled for one Test in Oct96 then dropped again. His average now 47.4. When he finally got punted his average was 42.8. That's not close to "even better". Also, he never "found form" in his two seasons of exile in the Shield, failing to average >= 40 in either season. I suppose the Learning here is; Never pick a NSW batsman with a low 40's average as a commentator.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
He's batted in the middle order in T20 & One Day Cricket for a couple of years now. Two Day Cricket he be either opening or batting 3 depending on Usman
Gee
Roar Rookie
Easy time to be a batsman now. Renshaw has been awful for a year but he gets two tons in the four Shield games before the next test and he is in.
Tom
Guest
Burns and Renshaw will be back at the top of the order when the red ball stuff starts, unless Usman pulls the captain card and decides to open if he thinks it's his best chance to get back in the test side.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
He has shown he can do it early in his career so there’s no reason he can’t do it again. He has to make runs at Shield level first though.
Seeing as Joe Burns and Renshaw have both started the season off really well, I think this could both be a rebirth of sorts for them, especially Joe Burns. Considering his excellent start to the Marsh One Day Cup, is there any chance of him getting a look in the ODI team if he peels of a couple more fifties and hundreds? I reckon he'd be suited a #4/#5 position after Smith, he's more a worker and nudger type of the ball but has a pretty good power game and looks stronger than Smith and is a very good player of the short ball. Never got a good lengthy run in the ODI team, just as he's been treated poorly in the Test team.
AREH
Roar Guru
Much like him. A patient player who enjoys the grind, with the longer form (hopefully) proving his best. Renshaw is one you would hope has been earmarked for the 2023 Ashes tour as one of the openers.
Yawn of the Dead
Guest
Slater was dropped when averaging almost 50 and came back 18 months later even better Renshaw just has to find form. Hardest position to do it. Bruce Laird fell out of the team then got back in. It can be done. Marto had years of mediocrity but his talent was there.
Rellum
Roar Guru
He started there, his game to me suits a number 5. He will probably open for QLD but I would like to think the Aus team could use him at 5.
TheGeneral
Roar Rookie
DingoGray, Renshaw 52no, Burns 65no. They batted 4 & 5, perhaps we have found a No. 5 in Burns. Do Queensland consider them better there?.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Joe Burns is our Test Opener. We just have clowns picking the team at the moment. Renshaw unfortunately has a fair bit of work to do to bypass the Bancroft & Harris love in from JL.
U
Roar Rookie
Doesn’t matter how many runs that you make at domestic level if you can’t back it up in tests
U
Roar Rookie
He’s a better opener than Bancroft and Harris. At least in test cricket. I’m tired of players racking up the runs in domestic cricket and then choking when it comes to tests
Rellum
Roar Guru
Great win by the boys. SA never looked in it. Matty Renshaw with some runs and a wicket to go with some amusing fielding. Joey Burns looked good even having throw downs. He hopefully has found a home in the middle order for one dayers and maybe FC stuff. These are the type of runs we were missing last season when the top order failed. Maxie Bryant needs to hit shots along the ground when playing the forearm jab. The amount of shots he hit at catchable height is just too many going forward. Go big or go along the ground.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Good point about a number of greats having stuttering starts to their Test careers. Could add players like Steve Waugh, Ian Chappell, Ian Redpath. I also get the impression that Queensland batsmen have a bit of a handicap batting at the Gabba. A lot of low scores there last year. Presumably contributes to Labuschagne’s poor Shield average of 33. Certainly got the impression Renshaw has the right mental approach to accumulating runs.