Selection talk all relative for 'outstanding' Marsh

Provided they are not still too busy enjoying some celebratory ales in Bali, both Geoff and Shaun Marsh would be well placed to dispense some timely cricket wisdom to the youngest member of their immediate family should one Ashes selection hypothetical come to pass in the coming days.

Recalled to the Test side after a four-year absence due to a Cameron Green hamstring injury, Mitchell Marsh followed an electric day-one 118 with tidy bowling returns (2-32 from nine overs, dismissing Zac Crawley twice) to leave Australia with a complex selection picture ahead of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford.

With 88 Test caps between Marsh's brother Shaun (38) and their father Geoff (50), there is considerable cricketing nous to fall back on for the in-form 31-year-old, who is hopeful his Ashes comeback is not limited to just a one-off match.

And although those two Marshes were with family on holiday in Indonesia celebrating Shaun's 40th birthday when Mitch capped his dream return on Thursday, the pair would prove handy sounding boards if that innings results in an elevation up the order.

With Australia's players taking some time off during the longest break between Tests in the series, Marsh has left the brains trust with a question for which there appears several potential answers. 

One would be to drop Marsh in a straight swap for Green, returning the visitors' XI to the status quo with the younger allrounder back at No.6 and the fifth bowling option.

Image Id: 2AA90A9B833D4A4196DAEC3C4018CDB7 Image Caption: The Marsh family - Shaun, Geoff and Mitch // Getty

Not since Shaun Marsh was axed for the 2015 Boxing Day Test after scoring 182 against West Indies in the preceding match has an Australian men's Test player lost his spot after scoring a century.

The prospect of that, however, appears unlikely with McDonald suggesting Marsh had made a near irresistible case to take on England from the middle-order again when the series resumes on July 19 with Australia leading 2-1.

"He's made a pretty good case, it's pretty strong," said McDonald, who has a say in picking the team along with duty selector Tony Dodemaide.

"I thought he was outstanding this game, a bit of luck in that first innings (getting dropped on 12) but he took that, he was positive, showed great intent and he's a fine player of the short ball.

"There's a lot to like with how he matches up against England.

"I thought he was impressive with the ball as well, and he's done that before in England with the ball as well, so that's nothing new."

So if Marsh's position is locked in for Manchester, the question then is where does he bat?

With McDonald saying Green is a certainty to be fit and describing the 24-year-old as "important to the structure of the team", there is the possibility of Marsh needing to find a new spot in Australia's top order.

The middle order is otherwise settled with Marnus Labuschagne (at three), Steve Smith (four) and Travis Head (five). Usman Khawaja is the leading run scorer for the series, which then puts the spotlight on his opening partner David Warner.

The suggestion of Marsh moving up from the middle order to open (which he did successfully, albeit in vastly different conditions, in an ODI series against India earlier this year) is something his old man might well have something to say about.

Geoff Marsh started his first-class career at four and five for Western Australia, and also batted at three in his first two Tests, before settling into the opening position he occupied for the rest of his international career. Shaun, too, spent 10 Tests at the top of the order, scoring a century against Sri Lanka from there in 2016 and averaging 38.55.

Mitch following in those footsteps, however, also appears a far-fetched prospect.

"He did pretty well down the middle order," said McDonald. "To put him up to open in England would probably be something we haven't discussed yet. But we do have some time between now and the next Test."

It would seemingly leave Australia with two options: keep their top- and middle-orders as they are for the fourth Test and leave Green on ice; or shoehorn someone other than Marsh into an opening spot alongside Khawaja.

Head was used against the new ball in India earlier this year, though only because conditions drastically tilted in favour of spin bowlers and because Warner missed the final two Tests due to injury, while Green himself has batted seven times for Australia as a T20I opener, and Labuschagne began his first-class career as an opener for Queensland.

McDonald did not guarantee Warner's spot after he was out to Stuart Broad for the 16th and 17th times of his career in Leeds, making four and one, but the coach pointed to his 66 at Lord's as well as his solid record of making strong starts with Khawaja on this UK tour.

"You've also got to reflect on what the opening partnership's been able to do across the six innings (of the Ashes series) and there's been three 50-plus partnerships in there," said McDonald.

"Albeit it didn't function to its level here, in some ways it's done well so far in this series.

"We've got a lot to consider and a lot to weigh up … we've got everything to consider in terms of Mitch Marsh coming in, what the balance looks like, our allrounders.

"We've got an extra batter who's put his hand up and we'll have to consider the options ahead."

2023 Qantas Ashes Tour of the UK

First Test: Australia won by two wickets

Second Test: Australia won by 43 runs

Third Test: England won by three wickets

Fourth Test: Wednesday July 19-Sunday July 23, Old Trafford

Fifth Test: Thursday July 27-Monday 31, The Oval

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood