Marsh reveals Australia batting rejig as Travis Head returns
Australia could welcome back a star batter at the top of the order against Netherlands on Wednesday, and Mitchell Marsh has discussed what that means for the team line-up.
Travis Head’s pre-tournament injury ruled the in-form batter out of Australia’s first four matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
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But Head is back with the squad and could feature against the Netherlands on Wednesday when he would take up his established spot at the top of the order.
And Marsh, who has been opening the batting in his place, says that it’s looking good for a first Head appearance of the tournament in Delhi.
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“I think that decision will be made this afternoon or tonight,” he said on Tuesday. “He looked good, had a bit of range hitting last night.
“He says the hand feels good, so I’m sure if he’s fit he’ll be available for selection in the team.”
Marsh moved to the top of the order alongside David Warner in Head’s absence, and crunched a brilliant 121 against Pakistan last time out, with Warner starring with 163 in the same game.
But the 32-year-old says there’s no discussion over which of the two openers would drop down the order to accommodate Head.
“I mentioned to David Warner maybe he can bat three, but I got a firm no from him… that’s being sarcastic there guys,” Marsh joked when asked about the reshuffle.
“I’m very happy to go back down to three. I’ve obviously batted there a lot over the last couple of years, so I feel really comfortable at three.
“If and when Heady comes back in, I think that’s the best position for me to play for this team.”
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That outstanding century last time out was a special moment for Marsh, who has grown into an important cog in Australia’s machine in recent years.
And the all-rounder says it’s a privilege to be playing such a key role at a major tournament.
“World Cups are very special for you to be a part of, and there’s no doubt that there’s different pressures that come with playing that compared to a bilateral series,” he said.
“So, yeah, I was really excited to be able to make 100 for Australia, to have a partnership with Davey, and most importantly, after our start to the tournament, just contribute to win. It was a great feeling.”
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Wednesday’s opponents Netherlands are the lowest-ranked side in the tournament, but have already pulled off a big upset by beating South Africa earlier in the group stage.
And Marsh says that the results so far prove that every team is dangerous and no game should be taken for granted.
“Teams have got better; I think that’s great for world cricket, certainly in tournaments like this that can sometimes be pretty long.
“We’ve said it multiple times now in this tournament this year, there’s absolutely no easy games. And you go into every game having done all the appropriate homework and hopefully you can come out with a win.
“Tomorrow is no different for us. We respect the Netherlands; they’re playing some good cricket and that will be a tough challenge.”
Crucial match looms for Australia and Netherlands in Delhi
Victory for Australia would move them to six points and clear as the fourth team in the standings, with the top four to go through to the semi-finals.
An against-the-odds win for the Netherlands would leave four teams tied on four points and blow the qualification scenario wide open.
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