Matt Renshaw spearheaded a remarkable Australian recovery on Day 2 of the first Test in Durban, scoring a career-best 190 to help his side reach 390. The innings was a masterclass in resilience, coming after Australia had slumped to 124 for 6. The left-hander added a combined 266 runs with the tailenders to completely shift the momentum of the game before poor light forced an early conclusion to the day’s play, with South Africa reaching 27 for 1 at stumps and trailing by 363 runs. The left-hander added 266 runs with the lower order for the final four wickets to turn the innings around.
Resuming the morning at 187 for 6, Renshaw found a steady partner in captain Pat Cummins. The duo fought hard to rotate the strike before Wiaan Mulder broke their 96-run stand by dismissing the skipper for 43. Following the departure of Mitchell Starc, who also fell to Mulder, Renshaw took control alongside Nathan Lyon. Using his wrists effectively to score through the leg side, Renshaw reached his second Test century—his first in nine years—with a flick off Anrich Nortje. By lunch, the pair had steered Australia to 250. Poking at a delivery that shaped away to edge to second slip, the Australian captain departed for 43. With Australia in danger of folding below 250, Renshaw took charge, farming the strike while Nathan Lyon offered stubborn support. Renshaw used his wrists effectively to find boundaries through the leg side and struck Anrich Nortje for successive fours to take Australia to 250.
The partnership between Renshaw and Lyon proved the highest ninth-wicket stand for Australia in South Africa, frustrating the home bowlers. They pushed the total past 300 in the second session, with Renshaw reaching 150 via a reverse sweep off Keshav Maharaj. Lyon provided crucial support with 27 from 92 balls before Marco Jansen finally trapped him lbw in the 129th over, a decision confirmed by DRS. Even as South Africa attempted to rotate their attack, including part-time spin from Aiden Markram, they struggled to remove the set opener. With Australia adding 90 runs for the loss of two wickets in the morning session, the ninth-wicket pair extended their partnership to 47 at Lunch. Taking the visitors past 300, renshaw and Lyon continued to frustrate South Africa as they extended their partnership past 100 in the second session. Lyon, meanwhile, played a valuable supporting role, contributing 27 off 92 balls with five fours. Their 134-run stand was Australia’s highest ninth-wicket partnership in South Africa.
Renshaw’s marathon effort ended just after the tea break when he edged a flighted ball from Simon Harmer to Aiden Markram at first slip, falling 10 runs short of a double century. His 397-ball stay ranks as the third-longest by an Australian in a Test against South Africa. Australia’s total of 390 stands as the highest ever against South Africa by a team that had lost six wickets for fewer than 125 runs.
In response, South Africa’s innings began poorly when Josh Hazlewood dismissed Ryan Rickelton for a duck in the third over. While Mitchell Starc briefly challenged Aiden Markram with an lbw appeal—which was overturned upon review due to an inside edge—the hosts managed to steady themselves with Markram and David Bedingham at the crease before the light deteriorated. Australia finished with 390 all-out in 137.2 overs, while South Africa closed the day at 27 for 1 after 8.4 overs, trailing by 363.
