Ton-up Renshaw states case for India tour

Australia’s rookie opening batsman Matt Renshaw made a huge statement to selectors for next month’s India series with a resolute maiden Test century against Pakistan yesterday. The Yorkshire-born 20-year-old watched his opening batting partner David Warner blast a 78-ball century in the first session of the third Test in Sydney before he blossomed into his maiden Test century.

Renshaw has the chance today’s second day to further add to his tally and make an undeniable case for inclusion in the challenging four-Test series in India next month.

Former Test captain Michael Clarke said during the match commentary on the Nine Network: “There’s been talk that Australia aren’t going to take him to India, that Shaun Marsh will open in place of him. I think it’d be a terrible move.”

The negative chatter didn’t seem to have fazed Renshaw, who said: “I felt pretty good coming in. I didn’t really know that I was going to miss out on India so it didn’t really come into my head too much.

“You go into every game and try to do as well as you can, but I probably wasn’t expecting to be this score tonight. “It should be a good experience if I’m selected (for India), but we’ve got a Test match to win and I’ve got to keep batting tomorrow morning. I’m trying to concentrate on that at the moment.”

Renshaw had to cope with the unique situation of farming the strike to the rampant Warner, who became only the fifth player to score a century before lunch in Test history. “That’s probably the first time I’ve been booed and cheered for blocking a ball in the same over,” Renshaw said. “He (Warner) told me to not change my game and just keep batting and try to get to lunch. I just tried to run as fast as I could when he was on 99.” He added: “I knew I was running to the danger end, so I just tried to put the burners on and try and get there.”— AFP