Renshaw a better bat than last Test match

Pat Cummins says Matt Renshaw will return to the Test side an improved player if he earns a recall against South Africa.

Renshaw is in line to play his first Test in almost five years on Wednesday if Australia opt to prioritise their batting at the SCG and play four bowlers instead of five.

A century-maker in his last Test at the ground in early 2017, Renshaw was dropped later that year and only returned for Australia in South Africa in 2018 after the ball-tampering scandal.

He lost his place again in late 2018 to then-debutant Marnus Labuschagne after a concussion in a warm-up match in the UAE, and has not featured in Test cricket since.

However, the Queenslander has averaged more than 50 in Sheffield Shield this season, pushing himself back into the frame for selection with Cameron Green injured and Australia up 2-0 in the three-Test series.

“He just looks like he’s got more tools in his armoury than he did five or six years ago,” Australia captain Cummins told reporters.

“It’s a common trend, always has been; later into your 20s you’re a better batter than when you were starting out.

“Credit to him, he got his chance to debut in his early 20s which is a fantastic effort, he’s gone away and scored plenty of runs.

“You just learn your game better, you learn what works for you. Even in T20 – the introduction of reverse sweeps and how to play spin differently.”

Australia can wrap up a spot in the World Test Championship final with a win in Sydney.

If they do play Renshaw at No.6, it will leave the hosts with just four frontline bowlers for the first time in almost two years given pace-bowling allrounder Green’s finger injury.

One option could include partnering Ashton Agar with Nathan Lyon in a twin-spin attack, with Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood battling it out to join Cummins as the second quick.

Another would be to pick one spinner in Nathan Lyon, with Boland, Hazlewood and Cummins to each play as three quicks.

But Cummins was confident the use of part-time spinners Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith would not leave Australia short on options with the ball.

“We’re not totally sold either way,” Cummins said.

“Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne can bowl a bit as well. You pick five out-and-out bowlers it probably takes it up to six or seven in total. So we’ll see.”

South Africa also have similar decisions to weigh up on whether to play two spinners and call in Simon Harmer, with captain Dean Elgar saying he’d prefer to stick with five frontline bowlers despite the tourists’ batting woes.