Queensland 5 for 338 (Renshaw 108, Khawaja 106, Zampa 3-92) v South Australia
Scorecard
Usman Khawaja scored a century to secure his Test place and young opener Matt Renshaw also impressed with a hundred, but incumbent Test opener Joe Burns failed on the first day of Queensland's Sheffield Shield match against South Australia at the Gabba.
Burns was one of the Test batsmen most in need of Shield runs, after he fell for 1 and 0 in Australia's loss to South Africa in Hobart, where he was caught down leg side in the second innings. The same unfortunate fate befell him in Brisbane, where on 4 he tried to glance Kane Richardson only to see the South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey dive to his left to complete a fine catch.
Burns has been dropped from the Test side during Australia's tour of Sri Lanka but was recalled to replace the injured Shaun Marsh in Hobart, having started the Shield season with 129. However, a pair of single-figure scores followed in Queensland's next Shield game, and including the Test match his past five first-class scores now read: 4, 7, 1, 0 and 4.
Should the selectors decide to cut Burns for the Adelaide Test, one of the candidates to replace him could be his team-mate Renshaw, who is only 20 but in this match brought up his third first-class century. An old-fashioned accumulator who views himself in the Alastair Cook mould, Renshaw played a fine opener's innings, seeing off the swinging new ball before becoming more expansive.
After the first hour of play, Renshaw had just 7 off 56 balls, but he played a valuable stabilising role as Khawaja scored more freely at the other end. His half-century took 137 deliveries, although he was able to attack the legspinner Adam Zampa and his scoring rate increased as the innings wore on. Playing his first Shield game of the season after recovering from a knee injury, Renshaw brought up his hundred off 190 balls, and he was caught on the boundary off Zampa for 108.
Though not mentioned by coach Darren Lehmann as one of the four "safe" members of Australia's Test XI, Khawaja was always unlikely to lose his place having managed 97 and 64 in the first two Tests. His century at the Gabba, an attractive 106 from 137 deliveries, ensured that he would remain part of the side.
After Khawaja and Renshaw - who put on 184 for the second wicket - both fell, Marnus Labuschagne made 47, and by stumps Queensland were on 5 for 338, with Jack Wildermuth on 33 and Chris Hartley on 20. South Australia were without fast bowler Joe Mennie, who was rested after his Test debut, and Test aspirant Chadd Sayers went wicketless.
