December 3, 2024: Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has declared himself fit for the second Test against India in Adelaide, which begins on December 6. Marsh, who has been dealing with ongoing ankle issues, arrived in Adelaide on Tuesday and confirmed that his body feels ready for the pink-ball, day-night match.
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.
“Body’s all good, sweet. I’ll be good to go,” Marsh said as quoted by Nine’s Wide World of Sports.
However, reports from Sydney Morning Herald suggest that Marsh may play the Test as a specialist batter, given his injury concerns. Marsh has been battling ankle soreness for some time, having missed part of the 2022-23 summer for surgery. Despite his recent injury woes, the all-rounder performed well in the Perth Test, contributing 47 runs off 67 balls in the second innings chase and taking three wickets across both innings, with 17 overs bowled. His all-round performance in Perth was a key factor in Australia’s victory.
Australia’s Test skipper Pat Cummins acknowledged Marsh’s injury struggles, particularly towards the end of the Perth Test, and confirmed that the all-rounder would be monitored in the lead-up to the Adelaide Test. Cummins mentioned:
“He has been battling a couple of little niggles since the UK tour. So the main thing is he’s in there as one of the top six batters in the country, and bowling is a bonus. He was a little bit sore towards the end of this Test match. In the next 10 days, chance to freshen up, try and get it right. We will see how he goes. Ideally, he would be able to bowl in each Test match.”
Mitchell Marsh has been in outstanding form with the bat since his return to the Australian Test side in the 2021 Ashes series. In the 11 Tests and 20 innings since his comeback, he has scored 803 runs at an average of 44.61, including a century and six fifties, with a highest score of 108. His performances have made him a key player for Australia, particularly in the middle order.
Australia squad (for second Test):
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.
India squad:
Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal.
With both teams featuring a blend of experienced and young talent, the Adelaide Test promises to be an exciting contest as India and Australia look to assert their dominance in the ongoing series.