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Mitchell Marsh says he's ready to bowl as much as Australia needs him to in Brisbane
Mitchell Marsh says he's ready to bowl as much as Australia needs him to in Brisbane
Marsh has been nursing periodic back stiffness since the white-ball tour of the UK in September.
Mitchell Marsh has said he’s ready to bowl as much as needed against India, trusting the coaches and medical staff to manage him carefully. This approach follows a cautious preparation for the series and careful handling before the Adelaide Test.
Marsh has dealt with occasional back stiffness since Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK in September, where he bowled just once during an ODI at Lord’s. That was his first time bowling since a hamstring injury in the IPL back in April.
Plans for Marsh to bowl in the Sheffield Shield were put on hold because of his back issues. During the Perth Test, he bowled 17 overs in total, taking two wickets on the first day. However, he felt sore afterwards, raising concerns about his availability for Adelaide, with Beau Webster brought in as backup.
Marsh didn’t bowl during the pre-game practice, with Pat Cummins explaining that they wanted to save his energy. In the first innings, Marsh bowled just four overs and conceded 26 runs without taking a wicket.
When asked if he had a limit on how much he could bowl, Marsh replied, "Not in my mind, no. I’ll try to be ready to bowl as much as Patty [Cummins] needs me to. Our allrounders haven’t bowled much in Australia in recent years, but I’m very thankful to our medical staff, coach Andrew McDonald, and Patty for giving me time between the first and second Test to get fully prepared."
"I didn't bowl as much as I wanted to before the series, but our medical staff, Ronnie [Andrew McDonald], and Patty [Pat Cummins] had a clear plan, and I trusted them," Marsh said.
Australia's bowlers made quick work of India in Adelaide, needing just 80 overs to dismiss them twice. Even Nathan Lyon bowled just one over as Mitchell Starc, Cummins, and Scott Boland dominated.
In the Gabba Test against the West Indies earlier this year, Australia relied on Marsh, Cameron Green, Travis Head, and Marnus Labuschagne for a combined 23 overs.
"I had a disrupted preparation, but I’m in a great spot now," Marsh said. "For me, it’s about contributing however I can. Whether that’s bowling five overs, delivering a key ball to take a wicket, or just giving the main bowlers a break. Right now, my back feels as good as it has in a long time."
Aside from bowling, Marsh found himself in a strange situation during the Adelaide Test. He walked off for a supposed edge behind R Ashwin, but replays showed he hadn’t hit the ball.
"The truth is, I thought I hit it, but I didn’t," Marsh admitted. "I didn’t check with Heady [Travis Head] at the non-striker’s end. I messed up. When I got to the changing rooms, they asked if I’d hit it, and I said, ‘Yeah, I smashed it.’ Then the replay came on, and my head went straight into my hands. A minute later, everyone was laughing at me."
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