"Not going to stop" - Zaheer Khan on Mitchell Marsh's batting exploits in IND vs AUS ODI series
Former cricketer Zaheer Khan believes star Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh will make things difficult for India in the third and final ODI of the ongoing series.
He pointed out that Marsh looked in brilliant form in the opening fixture and carried on the good work in the next game in Vizag.
Zaheer mentioned that the swashbuckler's biggest strength was his power-hitting. Here's what Zaheer said about the Australian opener's red-hot form in the series while speaking to Crizbuzz:
"He [Mitchell Marsh] bats in that tempo and is another example of a player who comes in form in the first match of the series and then carries on from there. When you have got runs behind you, you always have that confidence to carry on. On top of that, add the first innings debacle of the Indian team.
"It just puts you in that strong position. He is someone who is not going to stop. The standout factor for Marsh is that he is able to bat with that kind of power."
Ridiculous hitting from Mitchell Marsh 🔥
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Mitchell Marsh decimated the Indian bowling attack in the second ODI at Visakhapatnam on Sunday. The 31-year-old powered his side to a 10-wicket victory with a sensational unbeaten 66-run knock from just 36 balls.
During the aforementioned discussion, senior wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik highlighted how Marsh scored the majority of runs in boundaries in the first two encounters. He noted that the batter is capable of hitting the ball a long way, explaining:
"Mitchell Starc set the tone and finished it off for Australia, the other Mitchell came into bat, set the tone and finished it off for Australia. It's interesting with Marsh because 70 of the 86 runs he got in the first game were of boundaries. Today he's got six fours and six sixes.
"Literally, 90 per cent of his runs consistently seem to come off boundaries. He is a power-packed player. Even in the IPL last year he hit one of the biggest sixes that I have ever seen. He hooked Kagiso Rabada in DY Patil, and I think it fell from Navi Mumbai to Chowpatty."
Rohit Sharma and Co. were blown away in the second half of the match after being bundled out for a paltry score of 117. The Aussie openers chased down the target with ease in just 11 overs to level the series 1-1, handing India their biggest loss in ODIs.
"It just got overshadowed" - Zaheer Khan on Travis Head's half-century
Travis Head also played a good hand in the last fixture, remaining unbeaten on 51 off 30 deliveries. Zaheer Khan stated that while the southpaw was very impressive, Marsh's onslaught overshadowed his knock.
Zaheer lauded the left-handed batter for his impactful knock in the second ODI. He opined that the batter has resorted to a counter-attacking approach in his side's ongoing tour of India.
"It [Travis Head's knock] just got overshadowed because of the quality of shots that Mitchell Marsh played at the other end," Zaheer said. "At times, even though you've made that kind of impact, it just kind of goes unnoticed. He's batted beautifully and has been batting in this fashion in all the innings."
Australia cemented a new record against India today 🤯
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It is worth noting that Travis Head fared decently in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series between the two nations. The opener finished with 235 runs from three innings at a strike rate of 68.71.
With the series on the line, the upcoming third ODI promises to be an enthralling one. The match is set to be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, March 22.