Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has reluctantly stated that he does not intend to open the batting for Australia in Tests once David Warner retires in Sydney. Marsh has been tight-lipped about the available role in recent weeks after Greg Chappell suggested him as Warner’s prospective successor in a column for this masthead.
Marsh was speaking after scoring a defiant 90 in his first Test innings at Perth Stadium that he does not want to move from a counter-punching role at number six because he has only recently found himself as a Test cricketer, nearly a decade after his debut.
“How do I answer this without making a headline?” Marsh said. “For me I appreciate there’s talk about it and eventually we’re going to need a new opener with Davey leaving, but I’ve worked really hard to get back in this side and for me to look forward to having a role as an opener just doesn’t make sense to me.
“I love being at number six and in my last four Test matches I’ve really found my way and I guess who I am as a Test cricketer and I’m loving it, so I’m reluctant to change that.”
The innings against Pakistan were littered with usual strong strokes, in keeping with Marsh’s path since 2017, when he hit an Ashes century at the old WACA Ground and then attempted to mature into a longer-form player.
“I think I showed glimpses of the way I played in the last 12 months throughout my career, but probably never really believed in that method,” Marsh said. “I tried to play the long innings and play like Steve Smith and Davey and Uzzy and all those guys who can bat for six hours.
“But I just wanted to come into this Test team and be really true to myself. I’m thankful to Patty [Cummins] and Ronnie [coach Andrew McDonald] for helping me get to this point where I’ve found my method that works. I don’t necessarily have the technique of Smudger and Marnus where they can defend and leave for hours and get through those periods.
