"Don't feel the Australian public give him enough credit" - Michael Vaughan hails Mitchell Marsh for heroics on Day 1 of 3rd Ashes Test
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan showered praise on Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh after his breathtaking century on Day 1 of the third Ashes Test at Headingley. The 33-year-old, playing his first Test since the final game of the Ashes series in 2019, powered his way to a magnificent run-a-ball 118 to bail Australia out of trouble.
Coming in at a precarious 85/4, Marsh added 155 runs for the fifth wicket with Travis Head to take Australia to a competitive total of 263 in their first innings.
Speaking to Cricbuzz at the close of play on Day 1, Michael Vaughan reckoned that the Western Australian, despite being a great cricketer, does not receive the support and backing of Aussie fans.
"He is a great cricketer that's got a little bit of something about him across the formats," Vaughan said. "For whatever reason, I don't feel the Australian public give him enough credit. Something about Mitchell Marsh, he gets left out at times. I don't think he's necessarily had the right support from Australia fans."
to rescue Australia from trouble! 
🏏
Mitchel Marsh shines with a brilliant 💯 to rescue Australia from trouble! 🔥
His 3rd century in just 33 matches. What a performance! 👏🏏
#ENGvAUS #Ashes #TheAshes https://t.co/UHNNiPdkCO
Michael Vaughan believes that Marsh is the type of cricketer a team needs on and off the field, especially on away tours.
"Love the guy, think he brings great character, great humor," Vaughan continued. "You need those kind of guys particularly on tour. He's saved Australia today because without his innings they would have been bowled out cheaply. England potentially would have been up to that score, don't know how many England wickets would have fallen because Australia would have bowled more overs."
Further to his scintillating knock, Mitchell Marsh also picked up the wicket of a well-set Zak Crawley late in the day to reduce England to 65/3. However, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow held the fort for the remainder of the day.
Despite making his Test debut in 2014, the powerful all-rounder has played in only 33 matches, averaging a meager 27, with three centuries and as many half-centuries.
He has also chipped in with 43 wickets, including his best figures of 5/46 against England in the final game of the 2019 Ashes at the Oval.
"This Australian side just seem to find a way" - Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan credited the Australian team for finding a way from arduous situations throughout the Ashes series so far, similar to Mitchell Marsh's heroics on Day 1 of the third Test.
Despite being in trouble on several occasions in the first and second Test, the visitors had brilliance from different players, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins, and Nathan Lyon, to bail them out and help them take a 2-0 lead.
"This Australian side just seem to find a way," Michael Vaughan continued. "They struggled at Edgbaston for a long time but Khawaja stepped up, Nathan Lyon with his bowling, Cummins towards the back end of that game. At Lord's, it was Steve Smith in the first innings."
"Can just see that this Australian team even when the whole collective is not operating brilliantly, one individual does it," he added. "And the one individual today was Mitchell Marsh that has got Australia to a competitive score."
Australia won the first Test in a thrilling finish by two wickets thanks to the unbeaten ninth-wicket partnership between Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, apart from the overall batting brilliance of Usman Khawaja.
The visitors followed the result with another close victory in the second Test by 43 runs, led by a spectacular Steve Smith century in the first innings.