With an average of over 75 in subcontinent, Australian batsman says he feels comfortable batting in India conditions
Few batsmen in world cricket can boast of having a better average away from home in Tests. Shaun Marsh is one of them.
Few overseas batsmen in world cricket can boast of having an average of over 75 in Tests in the sub-continent. Shaun Marsh is one of them.
In the two series and three Tests that he has played in Asia – both in Sri Lanka – the southpaw has struck two centuries and an 81, and has an average of 78.25 to his credit.
The last time the Aussies toured the sub-continent, which was in Sri Lanka in 2016, Usman Khawaja was picked in the playing XI over Marsh. Khawaja looked completely out of sorts on those turners, and was axed after the second Test.
Marsh came back, and so did the runs. The 33-year-old cracked 130 in his comeback innings against the same set of Sri Lankan bowlers that had the Australians in a spin. But Marsh was steady against the turning ball.
It's this trait that got him the nod ahead of Khawaja in the warm-up game here ahead of the India series, the Aussies deciding to draft him into the XI ahead of his in-form colleague.
The move might not necessarily repeat itself come the first Test, but it surely does reflect upon Australia's belief that Marsh can be a potent weapon in countering India's spin threat, particularly off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
And that belief was reiterated on Friday. Marsh rarely looked troubled en route to a typically patient 104 before retiring. It was his maiden first class game in India, but he batted like it was his third Test tour to the country.
"It's just a good place," Marsh said on Friday when asked about what makes him click in the sub-continent, unlike most of his compatriots. "It's a really great challenge. I've played a lot of cricket over here, whether it is One-Day cricket or IPL (Indian Premier League) cricket or Test cricket in Sri Lanka. I just feel comfortable out there."
A major factor of that comfort in India comes from the IPL. Marsh was hot property in the initial years of the league, scoring heaps of runs for Kings XI Punjab and averaging over 40 in 2008, 2010 and 2011 IPLs. He has continued to chip in with runs in every season since.
Marsh would seek to carry the 'happy place' feeling into the Test series as well.
"Hopefully. India is a place where I've always enjoyed coming and playing. I always find it a great challenge. This Test series is going to be a really good challenge for us as well, coming up against a quality opposition. It's going to be a great series," Marsh said.
A dip in form and injury to Marsh after the Sri Lanka series meant that he had to make way for Khawaja in Australia's home season. Khawaja pounced on that opportunity, and it thus remains to be seen which of the two southpaws enters the field in Pune: the one in form or the one in sync with the Indian conditions.
"I'll just prepare as best as I can until they pick a team. That's all you can do," Marsh said.
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