Mitchell Marsh backed by chief selector
Aug 2, 2016 at 10:32 AM
After a stinging loss at Kandy, the Australians are in a complete mess. Their batting in both the innings was simply substandard as barring a couple of individuals; none of the batsmen converted their starts. Perhaps, in Sri Lanka’s second innings, the Aussie bowlers seemed to be a bit overburdened as spinner Steve O’ Keefe was injured and ruled out of the game. The slow left-arm spinner was subsequently ruled out of the tour, with Victoria spinner Jon Holland replacing him.
The second test will have far more challenges for the visitors in store. Galle has been a traditional fortress for the Sri Lankans and the home side’s record here has been impeccable, to say the least. With Australia desperately needing an inspiring performance, the focus will now be on the bench strength. On the sidelines of a practice session, coach Darren Lehmann seemed optimistic about his reserves.
Backing rookie Holland to make an impression first up, Lehmann said, “He’s tall, he’s got good shape on the ball, he bowls at a decent pace. I’m sure he’ll have success here. We think it’s a really good way to go. We’ll have to wait and see what the wicket is, but I’m pretty sure we’ll play two spinners again. He’s always been thought of really highly. Especially with the Shield final, he ended up with eight for the game and he bowled very well. So his record when he’s up and fit has been excellent, he’s just had a lot of injuries the last few years.”
Admitting that the overall selection for the squad had been satisfactory, Lehmann said, “No, I think we’ve got the right mix in selection, for the tour and the game.” “From a selector’s point of view, we’re really happy with the squad we’ve got and the mix we’ve got.”
Despite underwhelming returns with the bat, chief selector Rod Marsh backed all-rounder Mitchell Marsh to excel in the upcoming test at Galle. “He got 31 and 25 and that’s the sad part. He started beautifully on both occasions, but that can happen on pitches like this, you get one with your name on it. “He missed one in the first innings, which he wouldn’t like, at least he’s got his pad in front of this one, but he is in good nick. “His bowling’s probably kept him in the side to a degree, but his bowling’s going to be less important here than his batting,” Rod concluded.