Border-Gavaskar Trophy | McDonald backs under-fire Marsh, remains optimistic about Starc's availablity for Sydney Test

Melbourne: Australia head coach Andrew McDonald conceded that Mitchell Marsh has fallen short of expectations with the bat against India but remained optimistic about Mitchell Starc's availability for the pivotal fifth Test in Sydney.

Starc's fitness remains the primary worry for the hosts after the pacer battled through sore ribs from day three of the Boxing Day Test but still managed to bowl effectively, including claiming the prized wicket of Virat Kohli on the final day.

"Any time you get through the game, it's always a good indicator that you've a chance at the next game," McDonald told reporters after the hosts picked up memorable victory at the MCG to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

"It didn't stop him (Starc). Clearly there was a little bit of discomfort early on in spells, but once he got warm it seemed as though he was pretty free.

"We'll see how everyone recovers. Bowling last, it was a pretty attritional game, something that we're not used to in the last few years.

"Clearly Starcy's carrying something of some description. We'll assess that.

"But other than that, it looks as though we got through pretty unscathed, but [with a] short turnaround recovery is important, and we'll assess what the team looks like in Sydney based upon the surface, as we always do." Australia will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw the Sydney Test.

However, if India win the New Year's Test, they will retain the trophy, winning the series for a record-extending fifth-straight time.

Should Starc be unavailable for the series decider at his home ground, McDonald expressed confidence in Jhye Richardson or Sean Abbott stepping in to fill the void.

"Very confident. Richardson's here for a reason. So if we weren't confident, he wouldn't be here. He's had a heavy week with us in the nets. All indications are he'd be capable of bowling 40-plus overs if he was called upon.

"Sean Abbott's there as well. We feel like, [the] SCG is his home ground, so he will be serviceable if called upon as well. It'll be about assessing our frontline quicks and then making decisions from there." Starc’s fitness issues, compounded by his heavy workload alongside skipper Pat Cummins, have also drawn attention to the limited role of Mitch Marsh as a fifth bowler.

Across four Tests, Australia's fifth bowling option Marsh has bowled only 33 overs, a statistic that underscores his underutilization.

Marsh’s contributions with the bat have been similarly underwhelming, with just 73 runs at an average of 10.42 across four Tests (6, 47, 9, 5, 2, 4, 0). These lackluster returns have sparked criticism and calls for his exclusion.

However, McDonald defended the all-rounder.

"He’s in a good [head] space. Would you like better performances? There’s no doubt about that. Over four Test matches, he hasn’t been able to deliver at the level he would like and we would like." “He’s up and about though. We just won a Test match. No, there's no concern. And I think people have probably been reading too much into that.

"We haven't required him with the ball as often as what we would have thought. He bowled again today. There are no injury concerns there.

McDonald insisted that Marsh bowling just 33 overs is simply because the team didn't require him to roll his arm.

"I think to sort of head that down that angle is a little bit unfair. We just haven't required him at certain times for whatever reason, so that's more a tactical implementation, as opposed to a body."