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Australia only have the World Test Championship final to play after the Sri Lanka Tests, with the next assignment being the home Ashes in the summer.
Mitchell Marsh (Picture Credit: AFP)
Aaron Finch believes that a snub from Australia’s Test squad for the two-match tour of Sri Lanka is likely to bring an end to all-rounder Mitchell Marsh’s red-ball international career. Australia announced a 16-member squad for the tour on Thursday (January 9) where Beau Webster and Cooper Connolly were picked ahead of Marsh.
He had a horrific home series against India. In four Tests, he managed just 73 runs at an average of 10.43 while being trusted for just 33 overs with the ball despite Australia’s injury concerns. He was dropped for the fifth Test in Sydney and his replacement, Webster, put up a couple of match-winning cameos of 57 and 39*, while also picking up a wicket.
“I think it’ll be really difficult for Mitch to get back into the side now,” Finch said on ESPN’s Around the Wicket show. “There is not a huge amount of cricket left in this summer to force a case, with Cameron Green coming back in early March. For me, it’ll be unlikely (he ever plays again),” the former skipper added.
Marsh had a brilliant chance to put his hand up for the Test squad in Green’s absence. The latter had undergone surgery before the BGT and after his return, he would now compete with Webster to get his spot back.
Webster and Connolly can both ball spin and might be used to add balance to Australia’s squad in Sri Lanka.
After the Sri Lanka series, Australia will face South Africa in the 2025 World Test Championship final at Lord’s between June 11-15. Their next assignment would be the home Ashes, which will begin in November.
Meanwhile, Marsh has gone back to playing the Big Bash League.
“If anything, hopefully (playing for the Scorchers) would free Mitch up,” his coach at Perth Scorchers coach Adam Voges had said recently. “International cricket is such high pressure and Test cricket and an Indian series just adds to that. We’d love to have him back in orange and see if he can smack a few balls around here,” he added.
Although he recorded a duck on his Scorchers return, the team has three more group-stage matches left in the season and would be pushing for a playoff spot too.
