Renshaw thriving on raw approach: Warner

It might appear counter-intuitive, but inexperience on the subcontinent is one of the reasons behind Matthew Renshaw’s first Test success, according to opening partner David Warner.

Renshaw’s overseas debut was a baptism of fire, thrown in to face the new ball against the world’s No.1 ranked team and the top two Test bowlers, spinners Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, on a raging turner of a pitch.

The 20-year-old battled illness throughout the first Test, surprising his captain, teammates and his opposition when he raced from the field prior to lunch on day one for the safety of the away team’s ablution area. 

He returned later, resuming his knock on 36 to add a further 32 to finish Australia’s first innings as the highest run-scorer, but stomach issues continued to plague him in Pune.

Renshaw failed to take the field in the morning session on day two and when India capitulated midway through the afternoon, the time he spent off the field meant he was unable to open the tourists’ second innings.

Instead, the left-hander batted at No.5 and played an upbeat innings full of intent, courage and enough reverse-sweeps to make Glenn Maxwell proud. 

But even that innings was not without incident. A thumping blow to an unprotected forearm from express bowler Umesh Yadav rattled Renshaw, who dropped to his knees and emptied his stomach, seemingly the only liquid to grace the Pune wicket square for days. 

Renshaw finished the Test as Australia’s second-highest run-scorer behind century-maker Steve Smith and proved he was up to a battle few have won in India.

Warner has been there from the start of Renshaw’s career and says the Queenslander’s feats in the first Test not only surprised India, but also shed some light on what the rookie is capable of in subcontinental conditions. 

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“He played fantastic,” Warner said on Wednesday when asked about Renshaw’s Pune performance. 

“It could have been a different story if he stayed out there or he didn’t come off but the way he played and the way he adapted from coming off, being sick and going back out there was credit to him. 

“First Test match in India, India probably didn’t expect that. 

“We’ve never seen him play in these conditions as well, so we know how he can play and that’s the good thing about this game. 

“When you have fresh people in the team, you don’t know what they’re capable of as well and it adds another string to your bow.”

Renshaw was picked, in part, due to his ability to anchor an innings and bat long periods of time at the crease, which makes him the perfect partner for the explosive Warner.

While Warner is undoubtedly one of the world’s best batsmen and has destroyed bowling attacks at an alarming rate (day one in Sydney this year, for example), even he had to curb his attacking approach on a Pune pitch that was rated as ‘poor’ by ICC Match Referee Chris Broad.

Quick Single: ICC rate first Test pitch as 'poor'

Warner made 38 from 77 balls on day one – a sedate innings by his rampaging standards – and constantly spoke to his young opener about how to contend with India’s deadly spin attack on a tricky surface.

Those conversations, and Renshaw’s early series success, will hold the pair in good stead when they will be forced to adapt to a vastly different pitch in Bengaluru on Saturday for the second Test. 

“Having looked at the (Pune) wicket, it was probably going to be a wicket where you couldn’t really play your shots,” Warner said.

“You were going to have to sweep off length, not just off line. 

“So for me it was about playing with soft hands and figuring out where am I going to get the ones to rotate strike and the boundaries will hopefully come by me putting pressure on their bowlers with my defence. 

“There’s a couple of instances where I was a little bit in my mind thinking, ‘I can play a big shot’. 

“But I sort of reigned it in and talked to myself that it’s good with Matt out there, to talk to him about how I thought they were going to get us out and we sort of reigned it in together.

“When we saw the opportunity to try and pounce on one or two loose balls we did that, and you saw 'Renners' play with Jadeja bowling into him that he took him down over long on because you saw the field was up. 

“They’re little moments we are thinking about when we’re out there.”

Test Squads

India (for first two Tests): Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandaran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya.

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Stephen O'Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade

Australia's schedule in India

Feb 23-27, First Test, Pune

Mar 4-8, Second Test, Bengaluru

Mar 16-20, Third Test, Ranchi

Mar 25-29, Fourth Test, Dharamsala