Renshaw is not in the playing XI but has been named in the 13-man squad as a substitute batsman for the first Test against the West Indies, starting in Adelaide on January 17, beating fellow red-ball opener Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft. who were also in the mix.
But Renshaw, 27, is happy to be back in the Test environment, having learned a lot about himself since he was last part of the team during the Test series in India last year.
“It’s really nice and a lot of work has gone into it. It’s been a strange six months since Davey said what he said, but I’ve tried to enjoy my cricket,” Renshaw explained. “That’s the biggest issue for me. As much as all this has been hanging over my head, I play my best when I’m having fun.”
“Obviously people come and go. That’s cricket, but I’ve tried to enjoy my cricket… whether it’s Australia A, the Prime Minister’s XI, Queensland and also county cricket.”
Matt Renshaw made a brief return to the Test team last year.•fake images
Renshaw has scored 1,566 first-class runs at an average of 52.20, with seven centuries, since July 1, 2022. These are impressive figures and reveal his consistency.
His selection is a message from the selectors that he is the next cab off the line if he can stay on his upward trajectory. The opening position that could have been his has been taken by Smith, instead of a regular red-ball opener.
Smith has volunteered to move up from No. 4, but Renshaw isn’t kicking any stones. It’s a move he understands.
“He averages 60 in Test cricket. He is the best player in the world. Cam [Green] in the team too and we all know what Cam is capable of,” he said. “The selectors talked about the six best batsmen in the country and there’s no doubt those six guys are it. It’s just about trying to learn from them while I’m on the team.
“We have amazing players in the team, but I’ve already had a taste of Test cricket. I know what it’s like to score a hundred and what it feels like. I just want to try to enjoy and be myself around the Test team.”
Renshaw was just 20 when he scored 184, his only Test century, against Pakistan in Sydney.
“I feel like a completely different player. I look back and think I was very naive about cricket,” he said. “I came in wet behind the ears and hadn’t really had much experience with what the game can do. I learned from that… tried to get better with it and tried to improve myself as a cricketer.
“That refers to my knowledge of the game and probably some technical aspects. I look back at my technique then and it probably wasn’t as pretty. It’s probably still not as pretty, but I feel like I’ve fixed some things.” I needed it.”