Balance tips in favour of Renshaw

Queensland opener Matthew Renshaw looks set to play in the first Test of the Qantas Tour of India after Usman Khawaja trained in isolation for much of Australia’s first practice session in Pune.

While the vast majority of the squad went about their routine warm-up of stretches, exercises and the always competitive game of ‘Tedball’ – a hybrid of tennis and volleyball – Khawaja strapped on the pads and hit the nets.

Steve O’Keefe and Jackson Bird also didn’t feature in all of the warm-up and joined Khawaja for an early net, but after the main group had completed a light fielding run, O’Keefe and Bird re-joined the rest of the squad as the Australians trained on the vast wicket square of the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

Khawaja, meanwhile, remained batting in his own net on the adjacent side of the Test wicket, facing a cluster of local spinners before completing his own fielding drills with fielding coach Greg Blewett.

Despite passing 50 in every Test at home this summer (with one century), the 30-year-old was overlooked for Australia’s sole tour match in Mumbai last week.