After returning to his Test side post a hiatus of 4 years, Australia cricketer Matt Renshaw’s bad luck continued as first, the batter tested positive for Covid-19 and later while he was waiting to bat on day two at the Sydney Cricket Ground his umbrella malfunctioned.
Renshaw was required to spend his return Test isolated from his teammates due to a Covid diagnosis that happened prior to the announcements of the teams. He even spent the majority of the match outside on the boundary rope during Sydney’s first several days of rain.
“Matthew Renshaw is back into the side after a long time away from Test cricket and he found out the morning of, that he was Covid positive,” said commentator Mark Howard on Fox Cricket.
“He was playing cards on his own. He was down here under the umbrella, isolating and even that went wrong for him when it blew in the opposite direction.
“He has had an unusual lead-in to his next Test innings if he gets the opportunity.”
Another commentator, Kerry O’Keeffe mocked and said that Renshaw deserved a standing ovation just for batting after his tumultuous recall to the Test team in place of the injured Cameron Green.
“If he gets double figures the crowd should give him a standing ovation,” O’Keeffe said.
“This has been a journey over the last two days for Matt Renshaw.
“Nothing is going right. He is Covid positive two days in a row. He plays solitaire by himself in a room. He wears a mask everywhere and his umbrella betrays him.”
Mark Howard was even worried that Renshaw’s hand might have been hurt by the umbrella, which would have been disastrous before his first at-bat for Australia since 2018.
“Surely he didn’t hurt himself with his umbrella? That would be the final straw.”
“He comes into a Test match and gets his opportunity and gets Covid shortly after the team naming as such, so he can play.
“Then he has to sit outside with a hoodie on by himself waiting to bat in a Test match,” he added.
Meanwhile, Renshaw finally took the field after Travis Head’s removal, but he only managed 5 not out before rain played spoilsport and caused play on day two to finish early.