"I felt I was batting with the wrong end of my bat" - Mitchell Marsh on getting through injuries and COVID in IPL 2022

Mitchell Marsh scored 89 in DC's eight-wicket win over RR (PC: DC Twitter)

Delhi Capitals (DC) all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has spoken about how he struggled for rhythm after overcoming injury issues and COVID in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The Australian was adjudged as the player of the match for his all-round performance during his side's crucial win over the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Marsh joined the squad late due to a hamstring injury and struggled in his first couple of matches before being ruled out due to COVID. He was one of the players that was infected during the first virus outbreak within the squad.

Returning back to the fray after being hospitalized, the all-rounder found his rhythm and has now cemented the No. 3 spot in the playing XI.

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Claiming it took a while for him to find his form in the tournament, Mitchell Marsh said in a post-match interaction with David Warner:

"Really pleasing tonight. I think my first two games after the injury and COVID, I felt I was batting with the wrong end of my bat, and then the last three or four games I sort of have felt getting back to where I want to be, but have not been able to go and get a big score, so enjoyed batting tonight. It was a pretty tough wicket."

Marsh anchored the run chase of 161 with a splendid 89 off 62 deliveries before being dismissed in the 18th over. He registered a 144-run partnership with fellow Australian David Warner after KS Bharat departed in the first over without scoring.

Noting that it was "great fun" batting with Warner, who prioritizes strike rotation, Mitchell Marsh said:

"Considering that we are both very fast, it's great fun. But I certainly get pushed around for ones and twos."

The left-handed opener proved to be a great ally for Marsh in the run chase. Warner recorded his fifth half-century of the campaign and remained unbeaten on 52 as DC finished off the chase with 11 balls and eight wickets to spare.

Warner notably got a major repreive off Yuzvendra Chahal when the ball hit the stumps, dislodging the bail for a brief second before it settled back onto the grooves. Believing that he was due for some luck in the tournament, he said during the same interaction:

"I was due for some luck, you create your own luck and tonight I had some. Ponting said when he came out for the timeout that stop worrying about the ball to run ratio is and just be there at the back end and get us across the line. It was a great feeling to do that, you played a fantastic knock and it made my job easier to knock the ball around."

DC remain alive in the race for the final playoff spot with a win at the DY Patil Stadium. The franchise are now placed fifth with 12 points in 12 matches, a couple of points below fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

For the latest IPL point table, click here.

"It was probably a good wicket for me to bowl on tonight" - Mitchell Marsh

Earlier in the contest, Mitchell Marsh had a say with the ball as well. With the surface boding well for him to use his strengths, Marsh bowled a mixture of slower deliveries and cutters to good effect and ended with figures of 2/25 in three overs.

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Claiming that he stuck to the plan for the entirety of the spell, Mitchell Marsh said:

"It was probably a good wicket for me to bowl on tonight. Bowling cutters, slower balls and off pace deliveries onto the wicket, I just sort of stuck with that plan for the whole 18 deliveries and you always need a little luck in T20 cricket."

DC will face the Punjab Kings (PBKS) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their final two matches of the tournament's league stage.