Matt Renshaw named in Australia ODI squad for matches against India

The transformation of Matt Renshaw is near complete after the once gritty opener was named in Australia’s one-day squad for the upcoming series against India.

Renshaw, fresh off a Sheffield Shield ton for Queensland, was on Tuesday unveiled in the Aussies’ 15-man 50-over squad for just the second time in his career.

The left-hander has evolved since his Test debut in 2016 to produce impressive white-ball numbers from the middle order.

He was named in a white-ball squad in 2022 but never featured in the playing XI.

Renshaw credited his run of form to focusing on enjoying the game of cricket.

“It’s hard – you have to get rid of a lot of things, external noise, off your phone and stuff, but I just want to try and go out there (and play),” he said.

“I know that when I’m doing my job for Queensland, opening the batting well, we’re generally winning games.

“There’s a lot of noise that people can and can’t deliver, but I just want to go out there and have fun and play like it.

“If you told 12-year-old Matt that he was going to score a Sheffield Shield hundred, he’d be pretty pumped.”

Marnus Labuschagne looks the short-priced favourite to partner Usman Khawaja in the first Ashes Test but has been axed from the one-day squad.

The Aussies will tackle India in the first two Twenty20s with just two of its Test stars ahead of this summer’s Ashes series.

Just Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head of the Test regulars have been included in both squads.

Alex Carey, who played in the recent New Zealand tour and is named in the one-day side, was overlooked, while Cameron Green was named for just the 50-over matches.

Carey will miss the first of the one-day matches as he completes a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia.

National selection boss, George Bailey, said Test players would filter out of the group after the second T20.

“We have named a squad for the ODI series and first two games of the T20 series as there will be some management through the back end of the series as individuals prepare for the summer through Sheffield Shield cricket.

“The majority of the T20 squad will remain together as it’s an important period in the build towards the World Cup next year, however we are trying to strike a balance to ensure we simultaneously prepare certain individuals for the Test series ahead.”

Glenn Maxwell has not been selected in the squad after breaking his arm at training last week.

Maxwell had surgery last Thursday with the intention to return as soon as possible, but he remains a slim chance to be included in the second stage of the squad.

Mitchell Marsh will captain both teams after his historic knock at Bay Oval against the Black Caps on Saturday.

ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Ins: Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc. Outs: Aaron Hardie, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne

T20I squad (first two games): Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa