Pat Cummins knows there will have to be a compelling case to move Matt Renshaw out of the No. 5 spot, but reiterated that Australia are open to flexible batting orders if they believe conditions would suit a different combination.
Renshaw's match tally of 272 runs - 190 in the first innings and 82 in the second - was the cornerstone of one of Australia's most impressive recent overseas victories in Durban as the team heeded Cummins' pre-match call to lock in for the grind in what became a more traditional five-day Test rather than some of the shootouts the team has faced in the last 12 months.
However, Renshaw batting at No. 5 was only the result of Cameron Green being injured which forced Australia to rethink their strategy. Renshaw's recent one-day record in the middle order became a key factor which resulted in Nic Maddinson being recalled to open, nearly 10 years after his previous Test, but the door is open for more shuffling between Maddinson, Renshaw and Travis Head. Whether Green is fit for the second Test in Gqeberha remains uncertain.
"Give us a few days, we'll look at the conditions of the next Test. I mean, it's got to be pretty compelling to move him [Renshaw] from there," Cummins said. "But we've seen Travis Head down at No. 5 as well. We're always working out the six batters, or seven plus [Alex Carey] and how is that going to function as a whole? So, if anything, I still think he [Renshaw] can be a great opener, and now he's got another string to his bow that he's found this week.
"We're pretty certain that we like Marn [Labuschagne] at No. 3, Smithy at No. 4, and then, the six and seven felt pretty locked up. I think bringing in Maddo, we really like the idea of bringing that flexibility, that unlocks a lot [such as] Trav back to No. 5, Renners down to No. 5, even Maddo himself at five. We haven't had that option [in] the last few years where we feel like we've got plenty of options at the top.
"We're very big on that flexibility. I know you're probably sick of us talking about it but, why not next week, have different openers if the conditions take us somewhere different, or swapping out the batting orders between innings. I think having the structure that we do now with a few guys that can open, that's really unlocked that."
Before the match Cummins had called on his team to embrace the tempo the match needed. The outlook was uncertain at 124 for 6, but Renshaw embodied what the captain wanted with his near eight-hour innings. However, he couldn't do it alone. Cummins himself and then Nathan Lyon provided crucial lower-order partnerships, which had been highlighted in the lead-up by head coach Andrew McDonald.
Some poor shot selection from South Africa meant Australia were not in the field for as long as they might have been, but they had to work hard on the final day to get past Aiden Markram who made 75 off 237 balls before becoming the ninth wicket to fall.
Australia had not lost the ability to play a longer game, as evidenced by last season's Adelaide Test, but after the errors they made against Bangladesh in Darwin this was a model they will want to take with them during their intense run of Test cricket over the next 10 months.
"This week has felt a bit more, I don't know, like the old Test cricket, I reckon. It's a bit more of a grind," Cummins said. "[It's] probably just appreciating that we weren't as good at those little moments as we could have been [in some Tests]. I think you need to sometimes just grind it out, wait for the game to come to you and we just missed those moments in the past. So us as a group as we look at the next evolution, that's something we spoke about."
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Australia's recovery had started before the close of the opening day as Renshaw and Cummins stopped what felt like an impending collapse. From the second morning onwards South Africa barely had a sniff in the game and were ground down by the 134-run ninth-wicket stand between Renshaw and Lyon.
Having secured a lead of 106, Australia stamped their authority by scoring rapidly in the second innings, and though there was a thought bad light could play a decisive role, the fourth day was completed in its entirety enabling them to take four wickets and set up the final push. Josh Hazlewood's career-best 6 for 49 was the full stop on a near-perfect four days of cricket.
"Overseas, it's always tough," Cummins said. "You never quite know what you're going to get [in the] first Test ... the position we were on day one, six down, [it] felt well behind where we wanted to be. Then, mainly through Renshaw, clawing our way back ... and then once we had the lead not giving it back. Sometimes when we have got that far in front, I feel like we haven't been as ruthless as we could, but I think our standards were very high for the last three or four days. It's very satisfying."