Where monster ton ranks among Aussie epics as ‘bullseye’ sparks new selection dilemma

Matt Renshaw’s marathon century put Australia ahead of the game on a remarkable second day’s play in the first Test against South Africa in Durban.

With only the tail for company Renshaw managed to navigate two extended sessions before finally being dismissed on the second ball after tea. He was the last Australian wicket to fall as the tourists were bowled out for 390.

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Australia’s effort to bat for 72 overs to sap the life out of the Proteas’ bowling attack will live long in the memory, especially if Pat Cummins’ side can use their remarkable fight back as a springboard to a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

The bowlers will need to back up their heroics with the bat on Sunday when South Africa will start the day 1/27 after Josh Hazlewood struck in his opening over before a run was on the board.

Scroll down for the biggest talking points from Day Two in Durban!

WHERE MARATHON TON STANDS AMONG FINEST AUSSIE AWAY KNOCKS

The legend of Matt Renshaw’s 190 in the first innings in Durban will grow if Australia can charge to victory to begin the series in the coming days.

But the Queenslander’s 397-ball epic will go down as one of the finest performances by an Australian batter on foreign shores in recent memory regardless of what unfolds over the next three days.

Renshaw faced the most balls by an Australian since Usman Khawaja’s 180 off 422 balls in Ahmedabad in 2023.

It was the second highest score by an Australian in South Africa this century - behind Adam Gilchrist’s 204 not out at the Wanderers in 2002 - but this masterpiece was like few others.

Renshaw scored 174 runs while batting with the tail - the most by any Test batter since 2002 and his 190 is also the highest-ever score by someone batting No.5 or lower in a Test at Kingsmead.

The coastal venue was the site of the late Phil Hughes’ twin tons against the Proteas in 2009 and Renshaw’s knock will surely be viewed in a similar lens to that modern day classic.

Among the current Australian squad, only Steve Smith could argue that his twin tons in the first Test of the 2019 Ashes at Edgbaston were better away innings than Renshaw’s.

Travis Head’s century in the 2023 World Test Championship final does not come into this discussion as it was on neutral territory against India at The Oval.

Cameron Green’s 174 not out against New Zealand in Wellington may fall into a similar category to Renshaw as Green also scored plenty of his runs with Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood for company.

Renshaw’s personal story only adds to the innings’ legacy.

His century was his second in Test cricket and his first in nine-and-a-half years.

The going was tough for the left-hander in between his massive knocks at the SCG and Kingsmead.

In the first innings in Durban, he made more runs than he had in his previous 16 knocks at Test level combined.

Only tailenders Alan Connolly and Glenn McGrath had ever achieved that feat for Australia previously.

But even if he fell in-and-out of favour, and form, there was always a belief within Australian cricket that Renshaw had the game to be a fine international cricketer.

He certainly repaid those peoples’ faith and he was understandably delighted afterwards as he detailed his emotions when flicking a delivery from Anrich Nortje to the boundary.

“It’s a weird one,” he said.

“I think once (I had) a few years out of the team and had an opportunity in 2023 and didn’t take it, you probably think that you’re never going to get this opportunity again.

“So yeah, when I hit the ball, I was screaming at it, ‘Go. Go. Go.’ It all just hit me at once. It was pretty emotional. It was pretty special.”

‘DART THAT FOUND THE BULLSEYE’: REMARKABLE REINVENTION SET TO CAUSE AUSSIE SELECTION HEADACHE

A decade ago, Matt Renshaw was nicknamed the ‘Turtle’ for his painfully conservative approach to batting.

Now, the 30-year-old is threatening to become one of Australia’s most valuable weapons across all three formats.

And in a remarkable twist, the man once pigeonholed as a traditional Test opener may have found his calling in the middle order.

When Renshaw burst onto the international scene as a 20-year-old in 2016, his patient approach and reluctance to rotate the strike quickly drew criticism, despite a technique that appeared tailor-made for Test cricket.

But the Queenslander has spent much of the past decade reshaping his game, most notably against spin, to become a far more versatile and attacking prospect.

Having flourished at No.5 across days one and two of the First Test in Durham, Renshaw has not only vindicated the selectors’ bold call, but potentially opened the door to a prolonged second chapter in Australian colours — even if his move down the order has left a hole elsewhere.

“Let’s face it, against Bangladesh (in August) he was opening, and now he’s down at number five. That seems to be his spot,” former fast bowler Brendon Julian said on Fox Cricket during the Day 2 lunch break.

Mark Waugh was critical of the decision by selectors to open with Nic Maddinson on his return to the Test arena but said they deserved praise given the magnitude of Renshaw’s knock.

“I think we’ve got to give the selectors their dues here. We’ve been a bit harsh on them, but they’ve made a great call here,” he said.

“Not only to pick him in the team, but now batting down at five ... his form and confidence levels are at an all-time high. He’s playing beautifully in all formats.”

Renshaw’s extraordinary rearguard 190 in Australia’s first innings in Durban was as much a triumph of temperament as it was technique.

Against a fiery pace attack spearheaded by Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje, the left-hander was unbeaten on just 16 when Pat Cummins strode to the crease with Australia reeling at 6/124.

Yet despite barely getting a chance to bat with his side’s middle order, not once did his clarity waiver as the Proteas fast-bowling duo and the hosts’ spin pairing did everything they could to remove him from the crease.

“You think about him as a player over that (last decade). He’s a different player and a more mature player,” former Australian captain Alysa Healy said.

“He went away and worked really hard at his game against spin, and he’s been rewarded this test match for that. Batting at five and when the spinners are starting.

“It’s a great story, and probably a great lesson for all the younger guys out there. It doesn’t have to happen at 21 or 22, it might take you a while to get going.”

Veteran analyst and former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe added: “He looks as if he’ll serve Australia well in all forms. He could be a three-format star for the next five or six years. He’s 30, and he’ll go to 35 or 36.

“Australia have uncovered one. They knew they had him, they just wanted him at the peak of his powers — and he is at the moment.”

But for all the plaudits surrounding Renshaw’s remarkable century, his resurgence has presented Australia’s selectors with an unexpected headache.

Just where does he bat from here?

Renshaw was diplomatic when quizzed after play as to where he would prefer to bat.

“No idea. That’s that’s well above my pay grade,” he said, before extending when quizzed again about the situation.

“Wherever is best for the team is the (position) for me. I think I’ve obviously got that strength against spin in that middle order coming in, but it’s one of those (where) I’m not too fussed.

“It’s a pretty cool opportunity to be playing in the Australian men’s team anyway. So if it’s opening, if it’s batting five, if it’s batting six, if it’s batting four, I’m not too fussed.”

The caveat is that Maddinson’s stunning Test recall resulted in a 33-ball duck on day one, and another failure in the second innings could force the selectors’ hand.

Had Renshaw produced a relatively unremarkable 40, the vacancy at the top of the order would almost certainly have been his to fill.

But his brilliant effort has added further complexity to a situation where it seems Australia has a surplus of talented No.5s.

“I suppose the selectors will tick the box and say: ‘We talked about the order, but we think these guys can bat anywhere’ ... you’ve got different players coming in at different spots,” Julian said.

Healy added: “George Bailey did say that’s why they brought (Nic) Maddinson into the squad, for that versatility.”

“We’ve just got lots of options and we’re just starting to work that out. I think this has been a real breakthrough innings for (that).

While questions remain over the make-up of Australia’s batting order, Renshaw’s place in the side is more secure than ever.

Julian believes “he’ll bat anywhere”, and O’Keeffe says he “still see him as an opener ... but (with) his flexibility, he could bat three.”

But as Waugh cheekily put it, the selectors have “got a dart that’s found the bullseye!”

UNSUNG HEROES TURN DISASTER INTO SELFLESS STUNNING FIGHTBACK

For all the grit and determination Pat Cummins has shown with the bat across his 75-Test career, substantial contributions have been few and far between of late.

In his eight Tests leading into Durban, the Australian captain had passed 17 just twice, batting at No.8 in every innings.

So when he strode to the crease with Australia reeling at 6/124 on Friday, his side desperately needed something special or, at the very least, someone willing to stick around with Renshaw.

And stick around he did.

Not since Boxing Day all the way back in 2020 against India has Cummins faced more balls in a Test innings, allowing Renshaw to slowly but surely assert himself against a tiring South African attack.

“They could’ve been bowled out for 170, they really could’ve,” Waugh said.

“I thought (Temba) Bavuma got it wrong. He took (Anrich) Nortje off when Cummins came into bat, which was the wrong move. But, credit to Pat Cummins.”

The skipper’s invaluable 43 featured six boundaries, with Cummins cleverly exploiting the width offered by South Africa’s quicks, particularly Nortje.

“They got so much right South Africa, but they gave him width outside off stump, and that is his zone. Forward of point, and through a vacant third man,” Kerry O’Keeffe said.

“He must’ve hit five boundaries through that area, so they just didn’t quite get it right with him. They tried to pepper him with bouncers, but when they tried to bowl him out, they gave him width.”

But Cummins wasn’t the only unlikely hero to emerge from Australia’s lower order.

After the captain’s eventual dismissal, Nathan Lyon produced an equally stubborn display at No.10, grinding out a gutsy 27 from 92 deliveries to further frustrate the Proteas.

His ninth-wicket partnership with Renshaw yielded a remarkable 134 runs, the second-highest stand for that wicket in Australia’s Test history, and the best since Syd Gregory and Jack Blackham combined for 154 back in 1894.

Not since March 2023 had Lyon faced more deliveries in a Test innings, with the veteran spinner delivering when his country needed him most.

And while Renshaw will deservedly dominate the headlines for his extraordinary century, the contributions of Cummins and Lyon were every bit as crucial in transforming Australia’s innings from a potential disaster into a formidable fightback.

And they loved every minute of it, Renshaw said.

“Tt was fun, “ he said.

“There were a few times there where we were in the middle inbetween overs and singing along to the karaoke in the crowd. It’s one of those special moments (when) you put on 140-odd with the number 10 batter. It’s really nice.”

DID THE PROTEAS GET IT WRONG OR WAS RENSHAW SIMPLY TOO GOOD?

Having fought their way off the ropes to a position of strength, there was another important benefit to Australia’s extended first innings in Durban.

It made the Proteas work especially hard in the heat while shielding Australia’s fast bowlers from having to bowl through what was a torrid time for the side in the field.

As Renshaw faced his 300th delivery in the innings, the temperature was 29C and the humidity was sitting near 80 per cent, which was sapping for anyone not in the shade.

“(A) benefit for us was just keeping them out out in the field, to get their quicks coming back on (for spells),” Renshaw said.

“I saw Jansen bowled 30-odd overs, Nortje 30 odd (as well), so we got some overs into their front liners in the first innings of the first game, which is always nice for the coming series.”

Wiann Mulder, who finished with 4-68 in a quality effort after sharing the new ball, does not believe the extended time in the field will prove much of a hindrance given it is the start of the series, particularly if South Africa can bat through Day 3.

But he is mindful of the theory and said ideally bowlers would send down no more than 20 overs in an innings.

“I think if we bat well, it doesn’t play such a big role,” he said.

“I think again ... as soon as you go over 20 overs, that the miles in the legs does impact you at some stage. But it’s the first Test, so most of our bowlers are fresh.

“But miles in the legs of bowlers does play a role, of course, and hopefully we can put miles into the Aussies legs tomorrow.”

The Proteas did not do themselves any favours either as they wilted in the sunshine.

Temba Bavuma’s record as skipper is phenomenal, with the Proteas having won 11 of their 12 Tests in his tenure in charge including the 2025 World Test Championship Final at Lord’s.

There may be some rust in his captaincy, for it was notable that during Renshaw’s partnerships with the tail, there was a lack of urgency to make shifts in the field late in overs.

Time and again the South African fielders failed to come in closer to the ring on the fourth, fifth and final deliveries of overs, which meant Renshaw was able to shield his partners. He faced the first ball in 13 consecutive overs at one stage.

Mulder was even-handed in his assessment, saying there were things the Proteas could tighten up while also pointing out that the big Queenslander played an innings of rare quality.

“I don’t think anything went wrong. I think they played well, to be honest,” he said.

“I think we executed most of our plans, and overall, maybe we could have bowled a touch fuller. But that we spoke about that before Matt Renshaw pretty much got in.

“I think maybe here and there we got some tactical things wrong, and maybe in my opinion it could have been different, but in the end, I think it was just a good innings, to be honest.”

From having the foot on the throat of the Australians on Friday, they now face a significant task to stay with the tourists in a stunning turn in fortunes.

BAD LIGHT ISSUE STRIKES AGAIN

The peril that comes with fixturing a series in Durban in early October struck for the second straight day when bad light stopped play with more than 30 minutes left to play.

After more than 90 minutes was lost on the opening day, match officials opted to extend the first and second sessions by 15 minutes on Friday in a bid to make up for lost time.

The second session was extended another 30 minutes after Nathan Lyon fell on the brink of the cut-off, with South Africa opting to use the allotted extra half-hour in what proved a fruitless bid to bowl Australia out.

But on a day where 98 overs was the target, the fading light curtailed play after 80 overs with play effectively called to a halt at 4.25pm, ostensibly robbing fans of 18 overs.

Former South African opener Dean Elgar had feared that bad light could prove the Man of the Match at some stage during the series and it remains a possibility it could occur here.

It was difficult to decipher much from Australia’s nine overs in the field other than what was already patently clear - that they would prove a handful for the South African batters.

While first over specialist Mitchell Starc missed out this time, Josh Hazlewood was able to snare Ryan Rickleton for a duck in the second over.

Both Starc and Hazlewood bowled four over spells and captain Pat Cummins was four balls into his first over when the light was offered to Aiden Markram and David Bedingham.

Renshaw said that it was frustrating but also noted that once the artificial lights come on, it becomes more difficult to bat.

‘It’s just one of those things,” he said.

“With the sun setting, the clouds coming over that west has made it a bit difficult. You see the blue sky on the other side and you think this is great, but the sun can’t creep through and it’s just the artificial light just taking over too much.”