Shaun Marsh added to Australian squad for first Test against India
Shaun Marsh has been added to Australia’s squad for the first Test against India as concerns over captain Michael Clarke’s fitness remain.
The left-handed batsman has been included in the squad, following his unbeaten century against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) last week. The 31-year-old was on 134* when the match was called off after fellow Australian batsman Phillip Hughes was injured after being hit on the head by a bouncer at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), which sadly led to the 25-year-old’s demise.
"The National Selection Panel has today advised that West Australian Shaun Marsh has been added to the Test squad as an additional batsman for the first Commonwealth Bank Test. The Australian Test squad will assemble in Adelaide today and tomorrow ahead of the first Test starting on Tuesday 9 December," a Cricket Australia statement said.
If Marsh does play alongside Mitchell Marsh at Adelaide next week, they will become the first set of brothers to play in the same Test for Australia since 2002, when Steve and Mark Waugh were regulars for the Baggy Greens.
Hughes, who’s passing away last week shook the world of cricket, was widely expected to be named as a stand-by for Clarke. The schedule of the series was rearranged after the unfortunate incident at the SCG. The first Test which was to start on December 4 at the Gabba, Brisbane has been postponed to December 17, with the first match now scheduled for December 9 at the Adelaide Oval.
Marsh last played a Test for Australia earlier this year against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. He was dropped after he bagged a pair in the Test. The West Australian has played 9 Tests in his career so far, scoring 493 runs at a modest average of 32.86.