Ashes: Renshaw Labels Khawaja Among Australia’s Best Ahead Of Brisbane Test

Ashes: Renshaw labels Khawaja among Australia’s best ahead of Brisbane Test (Image Source: IANS)

Brisbane Test: Matt Renshaw has hailed Usman Khawaja as one of Australia’s greatest-ever batters, admitting that his Queensland teammate can keep him out of a Test recall.

Khawaja, who battled back spasms in Perth, faces pressure to revive his career as he approaches his 39th birthday and endures a dip in form. However, Renshaw, coming off a match-winning Sheffield Shield century for Queensland against Victoria, insists Khawaja can still take on England’s aggressive pace attack in the Ashes.

“He's got an average over 40 in Test cricket, he's played 85 games, he's one of our best batters. He's one of the best cricketers that Australia's ever produced,” Renshaw told reporters at the Australian PGA pro-am at Royal Queensland on Wednesday.

Khawaja had initially been slated to represent Queensland at the pro-am, but lingering back troubles forced his withdrawal and opened the door for Renshaw to step in. The 38-year-old is now undergoing further assessment in Brisbane after experiencing an unusual bout of spasms that emerged only on day one of the match.

The issue pushed Khawaja down to No.4 in the first innings, and he ultimately wasn’t needed during Queensland’s remarkable day-two run chase.

Travis Head’s blistering 123 while filling in as opener has renewed debate over whether the No.5 should shift up the order permanently. But if Australia opts to move on from Khawaja and return to a more traditional long-form opener, Renshaw appears ideally positioned. The left-hander last featured in a Test in February 2023 as a concussion substitute for David Warner during Australia’s dramatic collapse in Delhi.

Renshaw's recent domestic form, however, has been compelling; a classy 112 under lights against Victoria at the Gabba this week added to a century and a 51 in his previous Sheffield Shield match.

Travis Head’s blistering 123 while filling in as opener has renewed debate over whether the No.5 should shift up the order permanently. But if Australia opts to move on from Khawaja and return to a more traditional long-form opener, Renshaw appears ideally positioned. The left-hander last featured in a Test in February 2023 as a concussion substitute for David Warner during Australia’s dramatic collapse in Delhi.

Speaking of his latest Shield century, Renshaw said, “I'm happy the Queensland selectors probably saw that. Knowing that we won the game for Queensland was something that was pretty special. We had a lot of people missing, we had a few guys missing in that Test squad, so knowing that as a senior batter for Queensland standing up and doing my job and getting the win at midnight on day three was pretty nice."

Article Source: IANS