JOIN USShaun continues Marsh legacy
His run-a-ball 112 was the cornerstone of the Antipodeans’ narrow three-run win in the fifth one-dayer over India at Hyderabad, and the knock also indicated that he has been primed for a permanent place in the national side.
After a brilliant run with Kings XI Punjab in the first edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008, Marsh was drafted into the Australian side to fill the void created by Matthew Hayden’s retirement. The left-hander seemed an ideal candidate to fit into that role until he suffered a hamstring injury against Pakistan in UAE.
The injury confined him to nearly six months of exile from all forms of cricket, but Marsh utilized the time away from top-flight cricket to work on certain aspects of his game.
The success of Tim Paine as opener too might have put him under a lot of pressure while attempting to win his berth back. Finally, he received a much-awaited chance in Nagpur against India where he made just 21 while coming down the order.
He could make just five in the fourth one-dayer at Mohali, and it was understandable if Marsh felt a bit stressed going into the fifth ODI on Thursday. His mental duress was evident in the early part of his innings when the 26-year old struggled to time his shots and find gaps on the field.
But with his partner Shane Watson going off the block like a rocket, Marsh had ample time to find his feet and once he found his range there was no looking back. Those trademark cover-drives and powerful hits through the mid-wicket region signaled the return of Marsh to his run-making ways.
“It is a good feeling to be back among runs after a while. It becomes sweeter especially after you comeback from a six-month long injury lay-off, and happy to see the hard work of all these days bearing fruits,” Marsh said.
That his father Geoff Marsh, former Australian opener and coach, too had scored his maiden one-day hundred against India might have come as a feel-good factor for him.
His skipper Ricky Ponting, who had to open in the third one-dayer in Delhi, too was happy to see Marsh regaining form in emphatic fashion. “Marsh was superb up front, and he played quite beautifully. The most noticeable aspects of his innings were the way he paced the knock, and the ability to keep his concentration going,” Ponting said.