Langer hints at Marsh inclusion for Boxing Day Test

SYDNEY: Two days ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Australia head coach Justin Langer has hinted at picking all-rounder Mitchell Marsh ahead of middle-order batsman Peter Handscomb.

In spite of naming Marsh as one of the two vice-captains of the side, Australia have opted to leave him out of both the Test so far, in favour of a specialist batsman in Handscomb.The Victoria top-order batsman, however, has scores of 34, 14, 7 and 13 in the four innings thus far, and could make way for Marsh who himself hasn’t covered himself in glory as far as recent numbers are concerned. Langer reckoned the added skill of bowling medium pace makes Marsh an ‘attractive commodity’ at the MCG.

“In a perfectly balanced side you have someone who can bowl some overs so Mitch becomes an attractive commodity on a wicket, unlike Adelaide and Perth where we knew it would be an even contest, that although there’s some grass and moisture we also know the history of it,” Langer said. Across the two Test so far, Australia’s quicks have also had to bowl fewer overs than their Indian counterparts. At the end of two Tests, the overs tally stand at Australia’s 228 to India’s 296.3. Even if the overs bowled by India’s fourth pacer - Umesh Yadav - in Perth are taken off, India’s tally is more than 30 in excess of Australia’s. Langer reckons that’s been advantageous to Australia and will remain crucial to maintain as the series progresses.

Bringing in Marsh will go a long way in aiding that. “Our fast bowlers and been lucky, they have bowled less overs than the Indians at the moment, particularly Bumrah, and the more we can look after those guys the better. It will come down to that decision,” Langer said. Considering both Handscomb and Marsh are expected to be solid against spin bowling, the decision to leave out one of them gets trickier, reckons the head coach.