Marcus Stoinis announced as replacement for injured Mitchell Marsh
What’s the story?
Australia have roped in Victorian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis as a replacement for Marsh for the final two Tests. The all-rounder has played 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is in the past for his country and scored a scintillating 146 against New Zealand in the Chappell-Hadlee series last month.
Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the remaining two Tests of the India vs Australia Border-Gavaskar series due to a shoulder injury. Confirming the news the team physiotherapist David Beakley said that the 26-year-old was carrying the injury to his shoulder for the most part of the summer, but it had deteriorated significantly as the tour of India carried on.
“Mitchell has been playing with a shoulder injury for most of the summer, which we have been managing up until now, but unfortunately it has progressively deteriorated to a point where he is unable to function at the level required.
"Consequently he will return to Australia to consult with specialists to advise the best course of action,” he said.
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In case you didn’t know..
Marsh was part of both the first as well as the second Test against India and while he did get to bat in all four innings, it was his sparse bowling, especially in Pune which made people ask about his role in the side.
The heart of the matter
Marsh was pipped to be the all-rounder that the Australians were hoping to provide them with the stability in the middle-order with the bat and then bowl some overs to provide the likes of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood the breathing space they needed after having bowled a long opening spell at the start of the innings.
However, with Steve Smith looking to give his spinners a longer bowl in helpful conditions, Marsh’s value in the side as a bowler reduced considerably and he could not quite do justice to his full role in the side.
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What’s next?
Th injury to Marsh could pave the way for Glenn Maxwell to return to the side as the middle-order batsman as well as the extra spin bowling option. Maxwell has not played a Test for Australia since 2014, but Ranchi could be the place where he has the chance to find a second wind as far as his Test career is concerned.
Sportskeeda’s take
While Marsh’s role in the first and the second Test was not as effective as Australia would have liked, the time away from the game could prove to be good for the player as he looks to recover fully before working on his game once again prior to the start of the IPL next month, where he will play for the Rising Pune Supergiants.