There is life still stirring in Australia’s batting, although the resuscitation had to be administered by an ‘Englishman’ who was childhood friends with Joe Root.

Matt Renshaw’s 190 in Durban sapped the life out of South Africa and turned the first Test. He led a dogged tail-end fightback to lift Australia from 230 for eight to 390 all out, with Renshaw marshalling his partners like an old hand, working his team into a position of strength.

Renshaw added 134 in 47 overs with Nathan Lyon for the ninth wicket and another handy 26 with last man Josh Hazlewood as Australia put 137 overs into the legs of the South African bowlers and revitalised an innings that was flagging at 124 for six on day one.

When Hazlewood knocked over Ryan Rickelton in South Africa’s first over, caught at third slip, the Australian dominance was confirmed. South Africa were 27 for one when bad light ended day two.

Renshaw batted for more than seven hours, facing 397 balls, in a career-changing innings nearly a decade on from his Test debut. This is his 16th Test in that time, one of those many inconsistent Australian batsmen who had come and gone without making a lasting impression.

Born in Middlesbrough, Renshaw is another international cricketer who can trace his lineage back to Sheffield Collegiate. His father Ian played with Root’s father Matt at Abbeydale before the family relocated to New Zealand when Renshaw was seven and then Australia aged 10. He remembers playing on the outfield with the Root brothers at Abbeydale and Joe visited the Renshaw family when he played grade cricket in Sydney. A lifelong Newcastle fan, Renshaw has written columns for the club match-day programme and attended games when playing county cricket.

Renshaw made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2017, scored a hundred in his first series but faded from the team within a year. He was recalled in the chaos of the “sandpaper” series in 2018 and again in India as a spin specialist in the middle order. He was brought back again for Jake Weatherald against Bangladesh in August when he opened with Travis Head.

At 30 he has time on his side to build a second Test career, although where he bats in the order is the next question. Renshaw is a career opener and only at No 5 because of Cameron Green’s injury and the recall of Nic Maddinson at the top of the order. Do Australia now stick with him at No 5 or move him back to open? Is he a potential long-term No 4 when Steve Smith retires? At least he offers some sort of depth if this innings is more than a one-off.

He showed tremendous patience and concentration, adding 87 with Pat Cummins to start the fightback before rebuilding again with Lyon after South Africa took two quick wickets. He farmed the strike, his only wobbles coming against short balls. He was hit by Anrich Nortje’s 91mph bouncer on the helmet but withstood the battering, forcing South Africa to bowl straight and moving the ball through his favoured leg side. He left well, and trusted the tail-enders rather than lashing out for quick runs.

Lyon batted for 92 balls as Renshaw scored exactly 100 runs of their stand moving from 69, when Mitchell Starc was out, to his century, raising both arms in celebration. This was steady accumulation with his first 50 coming off 117 balls, his second from 87 as the second new ball flew off the bat quicker and his third half century off 107 deliveries.

The pitch did flatten out from day one and South Africa bowled pretty well, it was just a case of Renshaw soaking up the pressure and the bowlers tiring when Lyon came in. Nortje followed up his first day in Test cricket for three years by bowling with pace and aggression on day two and Wiaan Mulder nipped the ball for four for 68, bowling Starc with a peach.

Renshaw’s performance is a huge confidence boost for Australia after more top-order failures from Marnus Labuschagne and opener Maddinson’s 33-ball duck. There was pressure on the selectors for the decision to move Renshaw down the order and pick Maddinson after a two-year gap in which he had barely played. “It looks like the selectors are throwing some darts at the dartboard and hoping to get a bullseye, hoping something’s going to pay off,” Mark Waugh said. Renshaw proved they might actually know what they are doing.