Smith faces key selection decisions Mitchell Marsh stakes claim with confident knock
FINAL XI Getting the right combination among Renshaw, Marsh brothers and Maxwell will be crucial for Australia
Mitch Marsh to complement the pace attack or if the preference is for more spin bowling options, do they gamble on Glenn Maxwell?
Choosing Maxwell is a risk. He’s like a stick of dynamite -explosive but also capable of detonating prematurely. Australia’s other concern is Matthew Wade’s wicket-keeping. He’s another risky choice because he’s a flawed gloveman.
Choosing Wade is purely a gamble that the runs he could potentially score will exceed those he might concede. The odds aren’t favourable in India as opponents can’t afford to reprieve batsmen of the calibre of Kohli and company. Wade will have his technique regularly tested in India, in the most demanding position for a keeper -- standing up to the stumps.
Then there’s the matter of Australia’s batting order. It appears that Smith has made the wise decision to promote himself to number three so that India won’t have a trio of left-handers to attack at the start of an innings. This would be too much of a luxury for R Ashwin, who has a distinct fondness for bowling to lefthanders.
This move also has the advantage of separating Australia’s two best players of spin (Smith and Peter Handscomb) while also maintaining a left-right combination through the middle order. That batting line-up gives Australia its best chance of success as well as making Kohli’s job just a little more challenging. Smith will face his own captaincy challenge as he wrestles with getting the balance right between when to use pace and when to opt for spin. In Australia, he seems more comfortable using pace bowlers rather than spinners.
The penetrative pair of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will benefit if they’re used in short, sharp spells. It will also help Australia’s cause if both are reasonably fresh when the highly dangerous Kohli first arrives at the crease. If Smith under-uses Nathan Lyon, it’ll mean longer spells for the two pace spearheads.
A confident Australia squad has arrived in India after a solid, prolonged preparation in the nets. Maintaining that confidence through a gruelling Test series is a challenge that is rarely met by teams touring India. MUMBAI: If Shaun Marsh made a strong case for himself with a fluent ton on Friday to get picked for the first Test in Pune, it was his younger brother Mitchell Marsh to give some selection headache for the Australian team management on Saturday.
The battle for the No. 6 spot between Marsh and Glenn Maxwell was intriguing. While Marsh scored a patient 75 which included 11 boundaries and one six, Maxwell too came in handy with an unbeaten 16 off 25 balls as Australia declared their innings at 469/7 after batting for 529 minutes.
It will now boil down to whether the selectors prefer Marsh’s medium pace or Maxwell’s off-spin, depending upon the conditions on offer in Pune. Smith made his spinners Nathan Lyon and Stephen O’Keefe bowl extensively, but the way Shreyas Iyer, unbeaten on 85 off 93 balls (7x4, 5x6), toyed with them, it wouldn’t have been very pleasing for Smith.
Lyon claimed 2/72 in 17 overs, while O’Keefe went wicket-less for 59 runs in 14 overs. Pacer Jackson Bird was the most impressive with 11-7-15-2 as India ‘A’ scored 176/4, trailing by 293 runs at stumps on the penultimate day of the tour game at Brabourne Stadium.
Resuming at 327/3, Australian batsmen Marsh and Matthew Wade were hardly troubled in the first session. After a conservative approach initially, Marsh and Wade started finding gaps at will. Marsh managed to thread a strong off side field. The timing on two glorious cover drives off Hardik Pandya would have pleased the Australian coach Darren Lehmann, skipper Steven Smith as well as chief selector Trevor Hohns.
Wade used the sweep shot quite often, something that will bother the Indian outfit for the Test series. India ‘A’ finally got the breakthrough in the first session when Wade top edged to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, who took over the keeping gloves from Ishan Kishan, off Akhil Herwadkar for 64. It also ended the 129-run fourth wicket partnership.
Just as the Australians dominated the India ‘A’ bowlers with the bat, their bowlers also looked to control the proceedings.
Spinner Nathan Lyon was rewarded with wickets of India ‘A’ openers Akhil Herwadkar and Priyank Panchal (36) .
Iyer, however, denied Lyon from dominating the Indian batsmen. With a six over midwicket off the first ball, it was clear Iyer would back his natural game. He then slammed another two sixes off Lyon and then a couple off O’Keefe.
Australians 469/7 decl (S Smith 107 retd out, S Marsh 104 retd out, M Wade 64, M Marsh 75; N Saini 2/42) vs India A 176/4 (S Iyer batting 85,; J Bird 2/15, N Lyon 2/72)