Mitchell Marsh could play as a specialist batter in the day-night Test against India at the Adelaide Oval, as per The Sydney Morning Herald.
This comes after the all-rounder Mitchell Marsh was surprisingly sore after Australia’s 295-run defeat to India in the series opener in Perth. Mitchell Marsh issues meant Beau Webster was added to the squad as a cover. Despite his physical discomfort, Mitchell Marsh’s show in Perth (47 from 67 balls) could earn him a place in the second Test.
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh declared that he is fit for the second Adelaide Test against India, after uncapped Tasmanian cricketer Beau Webster was roped in as a cover for the 33-year-old. The Aussies were hit by a major jolt as they lost pacer Josh Hazlewood due to a side strain injury.
There were also speculations that all-rounder Mitchell Marsh would also miss out from the match as he had been carrying some niggles. Beau Webster was added to Australian squad as his backup option. However, Mitchell Marsh has addressed all the rumors and stated that he is ‘good to go’ for the IND vs AUS 2nd Test.
Mitchell Marsh’s performance and injury history
Mitchell Marsh has been nursing an ankle problem for some time now, which saw him miss a portion of the 2022-23 summer after undergoing surgery. His pace dropped considerably during the Perth Test as he had to bowl several spells. Despite all this, Mitchell Marsh has been Australia’s best-performing batter in recent years, amassing 803 runs at an average of 44.61 in 11 Tests since his century on return at Leeds last year.
Mitchell Marsh has been dealing with ankle issues since quite some time, missing a part of the 2022-23 summer for surgery. He arrived in Adelaide with “more soreness than expected”. During the Perth Test, in the second innings run-chase of 534 runs, Marsh made a quickfire 47 in 67 balls, with three fours and two sixes. With the ball, he delivered 17 overs in total and got three wickets across both innings.
Speaking after the match at Perth, skipper Pat Cummins had hinted that Marsh was sore towards the end of the match and would be monitored for the next 10 days.
The Australia national cricket team will be looking to make a comeback in the second Test of the five-match series against India. The Aussies currently trail by 1-0 and needs to make a strong comeback after losing the first Test by a huge margin of 295 runs. Australia have been among the most deadly sides at home but were exposed by the Indian pace attack in Perth.
The Australian batter didn’t have any clue against the Indian bowling attack consisting of Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Siraj. On the other hand, the Indian batters performed brilliantly wherein Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli slammed brilliant hundreds.
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh declared that he is fit for the second Adelaide Test against India, after uncapped Tasmanian cricketer Beau Webster was roped in as a cover for the 33-year-old. Marsh arrived in Adelaide on Tuesday and said that his body feels good to go for the pink-ball, day-night match starting December 6 onwards.
Mitchell Marsh confirms availability for 2nd BGT 2024-25 Test amid injury rumors
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has stated that he has recovered from his niggle ahead of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against India, scheduled to begin from December 6 onwards at the Adelaide Oval. He was reportedly in doubt for the upcoming clash after the hosts’ demoralizing 295-run defeat in the series opener in Perth.
Australia had roped in the in-form domestic candidate Beau Webster as cover if Mitchell Marsh was not fit enough to take the field. There has been pressure on Marsh to deliver as a bowler in Cameron Green’s absence. As a result, his presence is pivotal for the balance of the side and the workload of an aging core bowling group.
Ahead of the second Test, Mitchell Marsh had an interaction with News Nine, where he confirmed that he is fit and available.
“The body’s all good, yep. I’m good to go,” Marsh said.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald had hinted that the team will be assessing Marsh’s condition during the lengthy 10-day gap in place between the first and the second Test of the series.
“We knew that Mitch [Marsh] was slightly underdone coming in but I thought the performance in the first innings was satisfactory,” McDonald said after the first Test (via ESPN Cricinfo).
Australia have already lost Josh Hazlewood’s services for the second Test due to a side strain. Fellow pacer Scott Boland is primed to join Starc and Cummins in the bowling attack.
Mitchell Marsh bowled 17 overs in the Perth Test
Cameron Green’s absence, coupled with the Indian batters’ marathon outing in the second innings, meant that Marsh had to step up with the ball. He bowled 17 overs in total, his biggest shift in international cricket since the 2019 Ashes finale at The Oval.
He took three wickets in total, including centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal in the second innings.
His presence would prove to be vital for Australia in the pink ball Test as an all-rounder. His counter-attacking ability makes him a threat at any stage of the innings while his short bursts relieve the other pacers in the side.