How Cummins' hunch unlocked best of Matt the Bat

Pat Cummins had an inkling.

As Matt Renshaw swept, reverse swept and milked singles with ease from the middle order in the ODI series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, the Australian skipper had a thought.

Why couldn't he do this in the Test team as well?

Australia arrived in Durban ahead of the Test series opener with speculation rife that the Kingsmead wicket would be a raging turner. As the Test drew nearer it became clear that South Africa would play two specialist spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, after the pair dismantled Bangladesh at the venue in 2022. Captain Temba Bavuma confirmed as much on the eve of the match.

At the same time, the wheels were in motion for the tourists' well-considered batting-order shift. Renshaw would slide down the order from opener to five to combat the spin duo, with Nic Maddinson to fill his role at the top. Renshaw had opened only once (scoring eight against Bangladesh in Mackay) since being recalled to the XI for the first time since 2023.

Both Renshaw and Maddinson learned of their respective roles last Thursday, the day before the series opener began, with the pairing's flexibility making such a switch possible.  

"I've batted everywhere from one to seven in (Sheffield) Shield cricket over my career," Maddinson told Fox Cricket on day five, "so I feel pretty equipped to do most roles when called upon."

As the NSW left-hander faced up to Mitch Starc with a new ball at the side's main training session, Renshaw spent lots of time against the slower bowlers.

Australia had a vacancy at number five because Cameron Green, who scored a century from that position in August's Test against Bangladesh, had been ruled out with a strained abdominal muscle.

"Seeing the way that he played spin in the one-day series was what led me to the thought of: he'd look pretty good at number five," Cummins said after Australia's 214-run win in Durban.

With number three and four in the order locked away, coach Andrew McDonald and selection chair George Bailey liked Cummins' idea.

After all, Renshaw's move to number five for Queensland in Sheffield Shield during 2020 and 2021 had been a success: his first-class batting average of 42.77 there is his highest of any position.

He also knocked out his maiden ODI century against Zimbabwe from the middle order less than a month ago and averaged 71 against spin in those six one-dayers against Zimbabwe and South Africa.

"It's always a conversation between me and 'Ron' (McDonald) and George (Bailey) to nut out what we think is going to be the best batting order," Cummins said.

"We're pretty certain that we liked Marnus (Labuschagne) at three, Smithy at four, and then the six and seven felt pretty locked up.

"Bringing in 'Maddo' (Maddinson), we really like the idea of bringing that flexibility and that unlocks a lot.

"(We have the option of) Trav (Head) back to number five, 'Renners' (Renshaw) down to number five, even Maddo himself at number five. We haven't had that option the last few years where we feel like we've got plenty of options at the top."

The spin threat that loomed ahead of the match ultimately proved as much of a trouble for the Aussie batters as finding a spare seat in Kingsmead Stadium over the past five days. Much of the credit for that has to go to Renshaw, who neutered the hosts' slow bowlers with his wide array of sweeps and manipulation of the field.

The selectors' belief that the Queenslander is one of the country's best players of spin was vindicated as he played from deep in the crease and swept in all directions with equal expertise.

The raw numbers also reveal his quality against the slow-turning ball: his career first-class average against spin sits at 54.40, while against pace he averages 34.46.

Renshaw accumulated a career-high 190 in the first innings, off 397 balls, and added another 82 off 99 in the second. 

"Everyone does it a little bit differently and Renners' method was to wait for his balls," Cummins said. "There's plenty of time in a Test match, so you don't need to overplay it, particularly these kind of conditions.

"I thought he managed the tempo really well and turned over the strike really well to the spin. He laid a pretty good blueprint for these conditions."

Renshaw's 155 runs against spin for the match is only the second time since the Covid pandemic that an Australian batter has reached that mark; Usman Khawaja's 209 (of 232) against Sri Lanka in Galle last year is the only innings that surpasses it.

With the second Test now only four days away, the hosts' will have little time to weigh up their options for a batting order now seemingly boasting surplus options.

Green is a chance to play in Gqeberha in a non-bowling capacity while Josh Inglis is also in the frame after ticking all the boxes in his recovery from a broken finger.

"You're probably sick of us talking about it, but why not next week have different openers if the conditions take us somewhere different?" Cummins said.

"Or swapping the batting orders between innings? I think having the structure that we do now, with a few guys that can open, that's really unlocked us."

And as for Renshaw at five?

"Give us a few days, we'll look at the conditions for the next Test," he added. "(But) it's going to (have to) be pretty compelling to move him from there."

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First Test: Australia won by 214 runs

Second Test: October 18-22, St George's Park, Gqeberha, 7pm AEDT (10am local)

Third Test: October 27-31, Newlands, Cape Town, 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local)

South Africa's first Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster