Mitchell Marsh’s Test Career Uncertain After SCG Omission

Mitchell Marsh’s Test Career on Shaky Ground Following SCG Snub.

For the last 18 months, Mitchell Marsh has been the feel-good story of Australian cricket. But less than a year after he was named Allan Border Medalist and delivered an acceptance speech he would never forget, his Test career now hangs in the balance.

Marsh was rested for the last Test against India at the SCG and made way for debutant Beau Webster. Marsh did not claim he was “necessarily blindsided” by the decision, though, despite limited input with both bat and ball in the series: 73 runs and sparing spells.

Marsh left the nets without batting but took time to interact with fans, signing autographs and posing for photos. Marsh is one of the most popular figures in the team, and his first reaction was more about Webster being included, Cummins said he was quoted saying, “I can’t wait to see Beau out there and give it a crack,”.

The SCG hasn’t been the hunting ground for Marsh. He had also been omitted for this match in the series of 2018-19, after playing one match of his comeback from the MCG, where he had to go through boos from the ground. Since that, he hasn’t played any Test in over four and half years before getting a comeback at the 2023 Ashes.

While Marsh was impressive in match-winning performances, including an exciting century at Headingley, his form of late has been pretty uninspiring. In the series so far, his batting has shown some promise only once, in scoring 47 when Australia lost the Perth Test. His bowling burden has been virtually nil, bowling just 16 overs since the Perth Test.

According to Cummins, Marsh was basically selected as a batsman and bowling only complemented that. The problem was that runs did not materialize, and Marsh was dropped.

At 33, Marsh’s Test career is far from over, Cummins assured, but his path back appears challenging. Cameron Green, sidelined earlier, is expected to return later in 2025, while Webster has moved ahead in the selection hierarchy. If Aaron Hardie regains fitness, he too could challenge for a spot.

Australia may try to play around with balance during the Sri Lanka tour, but Marsh’s inability to handle spin and fewer games on offer because of the ODI calendar might hamper his prospects. Not playing Sheffield Shield cricket in February and March doesn’t help matters any either.

Meanwhile, Webster’s first outing tells a different tale. He was 31 years old when he made it to the squad after consistent performances in domestic cricket scoring 938 runs and taking 30 wickets in the 2023-24 Sheffield Shield season. Webster has emerged as a versatile player due to his slip-catching prowess and the evolution of his medium pace.

Contemplating the past, Webster gives credit to lockdowns in 2020 as the time he was able to revive his bowling games, which according to him, have been in addition to batting a significant aspect of his games. He says he enjoyed the last match at SCG where he had hit 110 runs and taken five wickets to make Tasmania lose the game.

“He’s a special player at the moment,” Tasmania captain Jordan Silk said of Webster, who showed the ability to step up in crucial moments.

As Marsh faces an uncertain Test future, Webster’s rise offers hope and highlights the ever-changing dynamics of Australian cricket.