Border left fuming
FORMER Australian captain Allan Border has criticised Matt Renshaw for retiring hurt early on day one of the first Test in Pune, saying he hopes the opener is “lying on the table in there half dead”.
Renshaw raced off the field and to the toilets some 15 minutes before lunch yesterday on the series’ opening day.
There was a quick consultation between the umpires and Steve Smith, who appeared shocked to see Renshaw following dismissed David Warner off the field, before Shaun Marsh walked out.
It was unclear if Renshaw, who had showed few signs of discomfort in an impressive unbeaten knock of 36 off 89 balls, was in any state to bat and asked for additional time.
Border, who famously told a sick Dean Jones he was a “weak Victorian” because he wanted to stop batting during the 1986 tied Test in Chennai, was in disbelief. “I hope he is lying on the table in there half dead. Otherwise as captain, I would not be happy,” Border said of Renshaw on Fox Sports.
“I can’t ever think of a situation like that that’s happened before, where someone’s gone off because they’re a bit ill.
“He’s obviously just got an upset stomach to some degree.” Peter Handscomb walked out to bat following Marsh’s dismissal in the second session.
Renshaw, however, returned to bat after the third wicket fell and ended up topscoring for Australia.
Border claimed Renshaw wouldn’t have even “thought about” coming off if Warner didn’t chop a wide ball from Umesh Yadav onto his stumps.
“He probably thought he had time to race off the ground and get back on while the new batsman was coming out to the crease,” Border said.
“If Shaun Marsh was dismissed in those last 15 minutes, I would’ve been ropeable as captain.”