Australia batsman Shaun Marsh has said spending quality time in the middle would be crucial for the visitors to boost their morale during the four-match series against India, which begins February 23 in Pune.
Marsh, who has an average of 78.60 in Asia which is spread over three Tests, struck a chord again by smashing a hundred in the ongoing three-day warm-up match against India A at the Brabourne Stadium.
“It was just good to be able to spend some time out in the middle. Everyone got a bit out of it today, which was great. Hopefully we can continue that over the next couple of days and make sure we’re ready to go next week,” Marsh was quoted as saying by PTI.
Marsh expressed facing the spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the upcoming Test series would be a good challenge for batsmen.
“India are playing really good cricket at the moment, got some world-class bowlers. It’s going to be a really good challenge for our batters, we’re looking forward to it,” Marsh said.
The Western Australia-born Marsh scored 104 in the practice game, in which he smashed 10 boundaries and a solitary six while spending 213 minutes at the crease.
“Any time you get to spend in the middle, it always helps. We know what we’re expecting against (Ravichandran) Ashwin and (Ravindra) Jadeja. It’s about getting as much out from this game as possible as batters and being confident to go next week,” Marsh further said.
The 33-year-old Marsh, who has played 19 Tests, expressed he would like to continue his form in the upcoming series before admitting it’ll be a stiff challenge against a formidable Virat Kohli-led side, who are unbeaten in their last 19 Tests.
“It’s a place where I’ve always enjoyed coming and playing. I always find it a really good challenge. This Test series is going to be a really good challenge for us as well, coming up against a quality opposition,” Marsh added.
Marsh was delighted to spend quality time out in the middle before adding that slow-bowlers would play a crucial role throughout the tour.
“It’s going to be a great series for everyone. I haven’t played Test cricket over here yet. But they’ll take spin, like Sri Lanka (wickets) did last year,” Marsh concluded.