Australia’s top-order puzzle has no settled answer, and Durban only made it messier. Matthew Renshaw hit 190 and 82 from No. 5, yet Travis Head, opening alongside Nic Maddinson, managed just 20. The second Test in Gqeberha begins on 18 October, so selectors must choose who walks out with Head and whether Renshaw’s middle-order form should be left untouched. The answer will shape how Australia attacks the rest of this World Test Championship series, so the call carries real weight for the whole campaign.
A Top Order That Keeps Changing
Eight men have opened since David Warner played his final Test in January 2024, which says plenty about how unsettled the role has become. Pat Cummins has suggested that only a compelling case would persuade him to shift Renshaw once more, while coach Andrew McDonald describes the group as open-minded about the order. Nobody in the dressing room is rigid, and that flexibility is exactly why the selection keeps shifting.
Weatherald, Labuschagne and Maddinson have also taken the new ball, and Head scores at 87.19 runs per 100 balls in the role. Beyond him, the returns are thin, as the table shows. Smith, Konstas and McSweeney all score under 22 per innings, while Renshaw’s two innings in the middle order produced 272.
Batter | Position | Innings | Runs | Runs per innings |
Travis Head | Opener | 17 | 785 (3 hundreds) | about 46 |
Steve Smith | Opener | 8 | 171 | 21.4 (reported average 28.5) |
Sam Konstas | Opener | 10 | 163 | 16.3 |
Nathan McSweeney | Opener | 6 | 72 | 12.0 |
Matt Renshaw | No. 5 (Durban) | 2 | 272 (190, 82) | 136 |
WTC Travis Head opening partner
Maddinson is 34, and his Durban Test began with a 33-ball duck before he recovered with 48 off 38. That rebound is the strongest case for patience, because one nervy innings tells selectors little about a veteran’s second attempt. A single Test is also too small a sample to justify yet another change.
Allan Border thinks Head would sit better in the middle order, but that view ignores what Head produces higher up. The likely XI for Gqeberha lines up as Head, Maddinson and Labuschagne, then Smith and Renshaw, before Carey and Webster, with Cummins, Starc, Lyon and Hazlewood completing the attack. On paper, that is a sound balance, and Labuschagne at three gives the order some ballast.
Renshaw in the Middle or at the Top
Renshaw has opened more than once and was moved down the order after a single-figure score against Bangladesh. The shift looked like a demotion when it happened, and Durban turned it into a statement. Few middle-order batters have made a stronger case for staying put. He answered with 190 in the first innings and 82 in the second, 272 runs in all.
The 190 was only his second Test century, arriving almost ten years after the first. McDonald says Renshaw simply nodded when told of the switch, which suggests no resistance to staying at No. 5. Moving him back up now would risk breaking a rhythm that has only just paid off.
Green and Inglis Fitness Concerns
An abdominal strain has left Cameron Green doubtful for Gqeberha, although he is progressing well. He is unlikely to bowl at all on this tour, so any comeback would be as a pure batter. That limits how much he can alter the balance of the side.
Josh Inglis is dealing with a broken right index finger and is batting in a splint. He does not feature in the likely XI, which removes one selection headache. Neither injury changes the opening question directly, but Green’s status decides whether Renshaw has to move at all.
Settling the Order for Gqeberha
Keep Renshaw at No. 5, because a batter who has just made 272 runs from that position in two innings has earned stability, and yet another opener in the role would offer none. Head’s 785 runs and three hundreds at the top make moving him a waste of a proven record. Chopping and changing again would only reopen a question Durban nearly closed.
Maddinson deserves another look after his 48 off 38 in Durban. If Green is passed fit as a specialist batter, he can take No. 5, and Renshaw can go back to the top, but only then. On the WTC Travis Head opening partner question, the evidence says stay with Maddinson for now.
Should Australia leave Renshaw at No. 5 or send him back to open? Tell us in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who will open for Australia in the Gqeberha Test?
Travis Head and Nic Maddinson are the likely opening pair. A 33-ball duck was followed by 48 off 38 balls for Maddinson in Durban, and the likely XI names no other specialist opener.
Should Travis Head open for Australia?
His record says he should. Head has 785 runs from 17 innings as an opener, including three hundreds, and he scores at 87.19 runs per 100 balls while doing it.
What is Travis Head’s average as an opener?
It is about 46 runs per innings. That figure comes from 785 runs across 17 innings, delivered at 87.19 runs per 100 balls with three centuries along the way.
Is Cameron Green fit for the second Test?
He remains doubtful for Gqeberha. An abdominal strain is the problem, and although he is progressing well, he is unlikely to bowl at any point on this tour.
How many openers has Australia used since David Warner retired?
Eight, counting Head, since January 2024. Smith, Konstas, McSweeney, Weatherald, Labuschagne and Maddinson are among the others, and Renshaw has also opened at times before moving down.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.