The Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is expected to make a come back to the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against India after coach Justin Langer endorsed the all-rounder’s potential value on a pitch which tends to Test the bowlers. The hosts are yet to announce their playing XI but Peter Handscomb’s middle order position is now looking in danger after Langer backed Marsh who missed the first two Tests of the four-match series currently level at 1-1.
Talking to the reporters on Monday, Langer said, “In a perfectly balanced side, you’ve got someone who can bowl some overs. And Mitch becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket, unlike Adelaide and Perth… although there’s a bit of moisture in it, we also know the history of it.”
Number five Handscomb has managed 68 runs in four innings against India. According to the forecasts for Melbourne, it has been expected that the weather will be warm and considering the fact that there will be only three days’ gap before the final Test in Sydney also means Australia would be extra careful about managing the workload of their frontline pacemen.
WATCH – Mitchell Marsh Plays A Prank With The Umpires
Citing the same, “Our fast bowlers have been lucky, we’ve bowled fewer overs than India’s bowlers at the moment, particularly (Jasprit) Bumrah, and that’s an important part of the series. We’re always looking at how we’re trying to manage it. In this instance, this is the only Test we’re thinking about. But we’re always aware that there are two back-to-back Test matches, which is tough.”
Langer joked the selection dilemma had taken his mind off everything else.
Describing the same, the coach said, “Pete’s a very good player of spin bowling… and Mitch is a pretty good player of spin bowling too. We’ll weigh up all those things, and they’re the hard decisions. All those factors, trust me, we think about it. It’s a bit sad, really; I’m not thinking about what Christmas present I’m going to give to my kids, I’m thinking about who plays spin better, whether we’ll play the extra bowler, how many overs have the fast bowlers bowled. It’s sad.”
Langer also said he could not wait to welcome Steve Smith back in the side once the former skipper has served out his ball-tampering ban, which ends in March. He said that Smith is the Virat Kohli of the Australian cricket team.
