Australia axes vice captain Marsh for 1st India test
Print Edition
Australia vice captain and allrounder Mitchell Marsh has been dropped for the first test against India as selectors backed the team’s three specialist seamers to bowl a full workload at Adelaide Oval.
Marsh’s place in the side for the series-opener, which starts today, has been taken by middle order batsman Peter Handscomb, recalled for the first time since the tour of South Africa in March and April.
Despite scoring a century for Sheffield Shield side Western Australia in the lead-up, Marsh pays the price for a poor tour of the United Arab Emirates where he managed 30 runs from four innings with the bat against Pakistan and two wickets at the cost of 100 runs with the ball.
“Mitch Marsh probably hasn’t been as consistent as he would like and we would like,” captain Tim Paine told reporters at Adelaide Oval yesterday, confirming that Handscomb would bat fifth in the order with local favorite Travis Head at six. “We know he’s good enough to be a genuine allrounder at test level.
“The quicks are going to have a bowl a bit more and we have full faith that Nathan Lyon can do the job.”
Paine confirmed Marcus Harris would make his test debut and open the batting with Aaron Finch in the opener of the four-match series, Australia’s first home test since Steve Smith and David Warner were banned over the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.
“He’s been a really consistent player for the last three years and thoroughly deserves the opportunity,” Paine said of Harris. “He’s an aggressive little player, he’ll play his shots but he’s also improved his defense.”
Australia coach Justin Langer earlier confirmed that batsman Usman Khawaja would take his place in the side despite the arrest of his brother on charges of trying to pervert the course of justice and forgery on Tuesday.
“We’re keeping an eye on ‘Uzzie’, obviously it was a little bit of a shock for him yesterday,” Langer said on SEN radio.
“A lot of cricketers say this, but the actual sanctuary is out in the middle so while there’s a lot going on in his personal life, we’re all around him to support him. He’ll be as cool and calm as usual out in the middle.”
With a scorching 39 degrees Celsius forecast for Adelaide today, Paine said that Australia would be inclined to bat first if he won the toss against counterpart Virat Kohli.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
