Matt Renshaw broke Virat Kohli’s decade-old record with a stunning 190 in Durban

Matt Renshaw broke a record held by Virat Kohli for almost a decade to become the highest run-scorer to bat alongside the tail in a Test innings since 2002.The Australian batsman scored 174 runs in a lower-order partnership during his career-best 190 against South Africa in the ongoing Test in Durban, surpassing Kohli’s previous benchmark of 171. Kohli achieved this during his monumental 235 against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 2016.Renshaw’s contribution with the tail proved instrumental in Australia’s recovery after they slumped to 124/6. He added 41 runs in an 86-run stand with captain Pat Cummins, followed by 12 in a 20-run partnership with Mitchell Starc. His most notable contribution came alongside Nathan Lyon as the pair put on 134 runs for the ninth wicket, with Renshaw scoring 100. He then added another 21 in 26 runs with Josh Hazlewood.These partnerships helped Australia recover from a precarious position to finish their first innings at 390 all out on Sunday 2 at Kingsmead.Renshaw faced 397 deliveries in his marathon innings, hitting 21 fours and a six. He fell short of a maiden Test double century when he was dismissed by Simon Harmer, ending an innings that changed Australia’s fortunes.Cummins chipped in with 43 while Lyon made 27 off 92 balls to provide vital support. For South Africa, Wiaan Mulder was the leading wicket-taker with 4/68, while Marco Jansen took three wickets and Anrich Nortje two.Renshaw’s knock also created two significant milestones at the Durban venue. His 190 became the highest individual score by an Australian there, surpassing Phillip Hughes’ 160 in 2009. It was also the highest Test score at the ground by a batsman ranked No. 5 or lower, surpassing Kusal Perera’s unbeaten 153 in 2019.South Africa reached 27/1 at stumps in reply to Australia’s total, leaving them with 363 runs to spare. Josh Hazlewood provided the breakthrough by dismissing Ryan Rickelton for a duck, while Aiden Markram, not out on 15, and David Bedingham, on 12, were left at the crease as bad light brought the game into play early.