Mitchell Marsh once again failed to live up to the expectations of Australian fans and was dismissed cheaply in the second innings of the Boxing Day Test against India. The Aussie all-rounder is having a forgettable series with the bat, as he has managed to get just 73 runs in 4 Tests with a high score of 47 in Perth. His other scores are 6, 9, 5, 2, 4 and a duck.
The absence of fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green has forced Australia to stick with Marsh to maintain balance in the XI.
He has been a walking wicket so far in the series with just one double-digit score, which came in the first Test at Perth.
Meanwhile, Marsh escaped Jasprit Bumrah’s wrath in the first two Tests, but before the Brisbane Test, he made a joke on that.
During a presser, when he was asked about his plans against Bumrah who caused havoc in other batters’ minds, Marsh jokingly said that probably his time is coming to become the Indian pacer’s victim.
“He’s coming,” Marsh joked. “Everyone has their own plans, and we all bat differently, so (it’s about) the situation in the game,” Marsh said at the press conference before the Brisbane Test.
It hasn’t worked out well for Marsh since then, as Bumrah has gotten the better of him thrice in the last four innings. He failed to handle a bit of extra bounce off Bumrah’s delivery on Sunday and gloved the ball behind the stumps to Rishabh Pant.
Marsh has also failed to make any impact with the ball this series. In Perth, he bowled 17 overs and returned with figures of 3/77. But after that, he has only bowled 13 overs, failing to take a wicket.
Waugh calls for Webster to replace Marsh in Sydney Test
Speaking on Fox Cricket, Aussie legend Mark Waugh called for the selection of Beau Webster, and urged selectors to replace Marsh with the 31-year-old. “There will be (a debate), depending on the conditions and the balance of the team. Beau Webster’s in the squad, (Marsh has made) no runs in this game,” he said.
“In theory, you could bat Alex Carey at six, have Beau Webster at seven, that could be an option as well.
“(Webster) is a batting all-rounder, but he will bowl more overs, plus he can bowl offspin and seam.
“That will be a discussion point depending on what happens in the next two days here, the fitness of Mitchell Starc for example,” he added.
