# Renshaw’s Durban double lifts him into the ICC Test batting top 50

Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com)
Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/article/renshaw-durban-test-rankings-top-50-2026-10-15-evening
Section: Cricket & Baseball (https://sportsbriefly.com/en/cricket-baseball)
Author: SportsBriefly
Language: en
Published: 2026-10-15T23:00:50.953+00:00
Updated: 2026-10-15T23:25:21.27912+00:00

> Scores of 190 and 82 power a major rankings jump after Australia’s 214-run win, while Josh Hazlewood rises to seventh among bowlers.

## TL;DR
- Renshaw moved from 196th to joint-49th in the Test batting rankings.
- His Durban innings of 190 and 82 helped Australia win by 214 runs.
- Josh Hazlewood rose to seventh in the bowling rankings.

## Key points
- The ICC published the update on 14 October.
- Hazlewood took 6-49 in South Africa’s second innings.
- Aiden Markram returned to the batting top 10.
- The match was the opening Test of a three-game series.

Matt Renshaw’s match-winning work in Durban has carried him into the top 50 of the ICC men’s Test batting rankings. The update released on 14 October moved the Australian from 196th to joint-49th after innings of 190 and 82 against South Africa.

*Cover photo: Matt Renshaw pictured in the ICC’s report on his Durban performance and Test ranking. Credit: [ICC / Getty Images](https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/renshaw-s-durban-heroics-drive-rise-in-icc-men-s-test-player-rankings).*

## Two innings change the picture

Australia won the opening Test of the three-match series by 214 runs at Kingsmead. Renshaw’s combined contribution of 272 runs was central to that result and ended a sequence of seven single-figure Test scores, according to the ICC.

![Australian batters pictured in the ICC’s Durban report.](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792106348863-vwyjaz-sports-2026-10-15-evening-cricket-baseball-inside-1-photo.jpg)

*Australian batters pictured in the ICC’s Durban report. Credit: [ICC / Getty Images](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/durban-triumph-helps-aussie-stars-make-big-gains-on-rankings).*

The size of the rankings movement reflects his low starting position as well as the value of the performance. It is a measure of his standing after this match, rather than a guarantee of selection or of similar returns in the remaining Tests.

South Africa’s Aiden Markram also advanced despite the defeat. His second-innings 75 helped him move four places to 10th, returning him to the batting top 10 for the first time since October 2019.

## Hazlewood gains after six-wicket spell

Josh Hazlewood moved two places to seventh among Test bowlers after taking 6-49 in South Africa’s second innings. The ICC identifies the figures as his career best in the format.

Australia’s win and the individual rankings changes tell related but different stories. The result gives the tourists the early advantage in the series; the rankings reward the players whose performances helped produce it. Neither removes the need to perform again when the teams next meet.

![South Africa batting in an image accompanying the ICC’s rankings report.](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1792106349347-y0xa12-sports-2026-10-15-evening-cricket-baseball-inside-2-photo.jpg)

*South Africa batting in an image accompanying the ICC’s rankings report. Credit: [ICC](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/durban-triumph-helps-aussie-stars-make-big-gains-on-rankings).*

For Renshaw, the immediate significance is a return to a much stronger position in the international batting list. His first innings supplied the major score, and the second ensured that his contribution was not limited to a single passage of the match. This is a review of the completed Durban Test and its rankings consequences, not a live score update.

*15 October evening edition. Reporting reflects information available by 23:59 in Tbilisi (UTC+4).*

Mentions: Matt Renshaw, Josh Hazlewood, Australia, South Africa, ICC

## Sources
- [ICC rankings release](https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/renshaw-s-durban-heroics-drive-rise-in-icc-men-s-test-player-rankings)
- [ICC match and rankings report](https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/durban-triumph-helps-aussie-stars-make-big-gains-on-rankings)
- [ICC South Africa results](https://www.icc-cricket.com/teams/7/south-africa-men)