As the blockbuster Test series between Australia and India hurtles towards a grandstand finish at the SCG, the microscope has settled firmly on Mitch Marsh. The dynamic allrounder, usually a force with both bat and ball, has endured a lean run against the Indians, scoring just 73 runs at 10.42 and claiming only 3 wickets. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the line and a spot in the World Test Championship final up for grabs, Marsh finds his baggy green dangling by a thread.
Head coach Andrew McDonald was at pains to stress Marsh’s lack of impact was due to form, not fitness, despite ongoing management of a troublesome back complaint. “Would he like better performances? There’s no doubt about that,” McDonald conceded, acknowledging Marsh had fallen well short of the lofty standards he set in a breakout summer last year that culminated in the Allan Border Medal.
A Marsh On Shaky Ground
Since a gritty 47 in the second innings in Perth, Marsh’s blade has largely stayed sheathed, unable to notch another score above 9. His medium pacers too have posed little threat, leaking runs while rarely looking like taking a pole. For a player of such prodigious talent, it’s been a mystifying drop-off, one that’s left him vulnerable as the selectors weigh up their options for the high-stakes Sydney clash.
The Contenders Waiting In The Wings
Breathing down Marsh’s neck is in-form allrounder Beau Webster, fresh off a sizzling BBL campaign. The uncapped Webster would represent a bold roll of the dice for such a crucial encounter but his red-hot form may prove irresistible if Marsh can’t rapidly rediscover his mojo.
McDonald hinted Webster was more an “insurance policy” at this stage but didn’t rule out handing him a surprise baggy green on Friday. The equation for Marsh seems simple – make an impact in Sydney or potentially face the axe, an unthinkable scenario just months ago when he was one of the first picked in this Australian XI.
Starc A “Good Chance” As Pace Depth Impresses
In better news for the hosts, spearhead Mitchell Starc is pushing hard to prove his fitness for the SCG after a heroic effort in Melbourne. Starc delivered the key breakthrough late on day five despite battling sore ribs and shapes as a crucial cog as Australia hunt series victory.
Any time you get through the game, it’s always a good indicator that you’re a chance at the next game. Clearly there was a little bit of discomfort early on in spells, but once he got warm it seemed as though he was pretty free.
– Andrew McDonald on Mitchell Starc’s prospects of playing the Sydney Test
Should Starc be unable to take his place, the cupboard is far from bare for Australia. Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott are waiting eagerly in the wings, both in ripping form. It’s the sort of pace depth Australia hasn’t enjoyed for some time and leaves them well placed even if their left-arm linchpin is sidelined.
The Final Frontier
So the stage is set for a grandstand finish at the SCG, a ground where many a famous chapter has been added to the annals of Test cricket. For Marsh, it looms as a defining moment, one that could chart the course for the rest of his international career.
- A match-winning performance with bat or ball would emphatically silence the doubters and reaffirm his status as one of Australia’s most valuable cricketers.
- Another quiet game though, and those whispers about his place in the side risk becoming a deafening roar, impossible to ignore even for his staunchest backers.
Complicating matters further is the unique pressure of a live final Test, a rarity on Australian soil in recent times. Not since the 2003-04 series against India has the SCG played host to a match with the trophy still up for grabs. It’s unfamiliar territory for this Australian side and only amplifies the spotlight on Marsh as he fights for his Test future.
Write him off at your peril though. Time and again Marsh has shown a knack for delivering when the chips are down, for finding a way to will his side over the line. If he can summon that same fighting spirit one more time, if he can stand tall while the noise swirls around him and drag Australia to victory, it would be his greatest triumph yet. And it could just define this most fascinating of series.
