Border scathing of Renshaw retirement

Allan Border, Australia's famously hard-bitten former captain, was scathing in his assessment of Matt Renshaw's temperament, after he opted to retire ill midway through his battling half-century on the first day of the first Test in Pune.

After a solid opening stand of 82 in over 27 overs, Renshaw's partner David Warner was bowled in Umesh Yadav's first over, whereupon Renshaw himself went straight to the umpires for a conversation before following up with his incoming captain, Steven Smith, who was walking out to bat at No. 3.

The two had a chat and, after a bit of confusion and several hand signals, Renshaw was asked to wait, presumably because the next man Shaun Marsh was not ready. There was apparent confusion as to whether Renshaw would be asked to play out the over and then go off, but Australia's team management subsequently confirmed he had to "retire hurt" with an "upset stomach".

That excuse cut no ice with Border, however, who famously refused to allow Dean Jones to retire with dehydration during his epic double-century in the tied Test in Chennai in 1986. Border mocked Jones as a "weak Victorian", saying he wanted a "tough Queenslander" out there alongside him. Although Renshaw was born in England, he now plays for Queensland.

"I hope he's lying on the table in there half dead," Border said on Fox Sports. "Otherwise, as captain, I would not be happy.

"I don't think I've ever seen that before. He's obviously just got an upset stomach to some degree and he was probably trying to use the situation where David Warner had just been dismissed to race off the ground and go to the toilet.

"What happened in the ensuring time there, I can't ever think of a situation like that that's happened before where someone's gone off because they're a bit ill.

"If David Warner hadn't got out then he wouldn't have even thought about it. It's a bit of an odd situation. He probably thought he had time to race off the ground and get back on while the new batsman was coming out to the crease.

"I can tell you what, if Shaun Marsh was dismissed in those last 15 minutes I would've been ropeable as captain."

Fortunately for Renshaw, Marsh was not dismissed until after the break, and he eventually resumed on 36, at the fall of the third wicket in the 60th over, going on to make a hard-earned 68 before falling to R Ashwin.