Matt Renshaw has called for the retention of veteran opener Usman Khawaja in Australia’s team for the second Ashes Test even if it ends his own chance of playing against England at the Gabba.
Renshaw has put himself in the frame for a Test recall with some impressive Sheffield Shield form for Queensland, including a century this week against Victoria in a pink-ball clash in Brisbane.
It was extremely timely considering next week’s Test at the Gabba will also be a pink-ball, day-night affair.
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Khawaja’s place is in jeopardy due to back injury that severely affected his contribution to Australia’s first Test win in Perth, where Travis Head scored a match-defining and swashbuckling ton as an opener when his 38-year-old teammate couldn’t bat.
Matt Renshaw celebrates after scoring a century for Queensland against Victoria. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
There have been some calls for Head to stay at the top of the order, while others want him to move back to his No.5 position which could leave an opening vacancy for Renshaw if selectors to call time on his Test career.
However, Renshaw said his Bulls teammate Khawaja should be retained for the Gabba Test.
“He’s got an average of over 40 (43.56) in Test cricket, he’s played 85 games, he’s one of our best batters – he’s one of the best cricketers that Australia’s ever produced,” said the 29-year-old left-hander, who played the most recent of his 14 Tests in February 2023 against India in Delhi.
Renshaw said he was now handling the speculation about a Test recall “a lot better” than in the past.
“There’s a lot more calm in my life, a lot more things that are important,” he said.
“The old Matt Renshaw wouldn’t have had to go home, change nappies or wake up in the morning and go to a kids’ sport game.
“Stuff like that has definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things, so I’m just enjoying where my life is at the moment.”
Matt Renshaw and Usman Khawaja of Australia talk between wickets during day two of the Second Test match in the series between Australia and South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 05, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Renshaw said all but abandoning social media had also helped with his new outlook.
“It’s a lot easier now that I know how to block things off on social media. I can’t see anything, I can’t see any news, especially when I don’t want to,” he said.
“It’s nice being able to get that away, and not have to go in there and sit down and read everything every night.
“I’ve got a lot more important things to do in my life.”
Renshaw’s relaxed outlook allowed him to enjoy playing golf in Wednesday’s Australian PGA Pro-Am alongside Wallabies hooker Josh Nasser, former All Blacks star Israel Dagg and Victorian professional David Micheluzzi.
“He (Micheluzzi) was in spots I’d never seen in the middle of the fairway a lot of the time, so hopefully he has a good week,” Renshaw said.
CUMMINS’ BIG TRAINING BOOST
Pat Cummins has provided perhaps the biggest indication that he’s on track to return for the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, training with a pink Kookaburra in Sydney on Tuesday.
The wounded Australian captain, who missed the series opener in Perth due to a lower back complaint, was spotted bowling in the nets at Silverwater’s Cricket Central, getting himself reacquainted with the pink ball.
Speaking to Fox Cricket on Saturday, Cummins declared he was a “half-chance” of playing the day-night Test in Brisbane, while Australian coach Andrew McDonald said Tuesday’s training session would help determine the 32-year-old’s availability for the second match against England.
“We’ll get more information tomorrow on what that looks like,” McDonald told reporters on Monday.
“Once we see him, we’ll be able to then join the dots as to what that potentially looks like.”
Pat Cummins bowls during a practice session at Cricket Central. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Meanwhile, fellow fast bowler Josh Hazlewood also rolled the arm over at Cricket Central – albeit with a red Kookaburra – as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain that ruled him out of the Perth Test. It’s the first time he’s been seen bowling since he sustained the injury during a Sheffield Shield at the SCG.
McDonald denied reports the 34-year-old would not be available for the entire Ashes campaign, telling reporters he’ll be available “at some point during the series”. However, he stopped short of outlining a rehabilitation plan for the right-armer.
“We’ve got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he might plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series,” McDonald said.
Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Cummins, arguably Australia’s greatest fast bowler since Glenn McGrath, has taken 43 wickets at 17.34 in pink-ball Tests, including career-best figures of 6-23 against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in 2019. If the New South Welshman returns to the starting XI, Perth debutant Brendan Doggett would most likely be the unlucky player to miss out.
The second Ashes Test between Australia and England gets underway at the Gabba on December 4.