Harare: Australia batter Matthew Renshaw made a compelling case for his future World Cup inclusion by scoring his first international century in nearly a decade, leading his team to a 59-run victory against Zimbabwe. Renshaw's impressive performance helped Australia post a total of 294/8, while a key five-wicket haul by Nathan Ellis restricted Zimbabwe to 235 at the Harare Sports Club.

According to International Cricket Council, this was Renshaw's first international century since his 2017 Test hundred against Pakistan in Sydney. His return to form comes after being called up for Australia's T20 World Cup squad earlier this year, where he delivered solid performances. As Renshaw eyes a spot in the upcoming ICC World Test Championship series in South Africa, his future in Australia's plans for next year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup remains uncertain.

Reflecting on his journey, Renshaw expressed gratitude for his return to the international stage. "I wasn't playing this format this time last year, so I'm just taking everything as it comes," he remarked. Renshaw's century made him the first Australian batting at No. 6 or lower to achieve an ODI century since Glenn Maxwell's 201 against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup.

Renshaw's innings was critical as Australia found themselves at 107/4 when he took the crease. By the end of his innings, the team had regained control and set a strong target. "I just tried to rebuild the innings. We lost a few wickets after the boys started really well," Renshaw said.

The ODI series continues in Harare with the second match scheduled for September 18 and the third for September 20.