Numbers a worry for veteran

SHAUN Marsh’s feast or famine Test ride continues to polarise but history suggests the veteran is under serious pressure to continue his baggy green journey.

Marsh is capable of thrilling and frustrating in equal measure but the gap between his six tons, nine half-centuries and failures have been a millstone over 35 Tests.

Marsh, 35, capped the worst run of scores under 10 runs by an Australian top five batsman for 130 years with a pedestrian exit to Indian nemesis Ravi Ashwin in the second session on Friday.

Marsh is the first Australian batsman in the top five to make six consecutive singlefigure scores since George Bonnor in 1888. Marsh has been dismissed for 7, 7, 0, 3, 4 and 2 stretching back to the Wanderers Test against South Africa in March.

Bonnor never played again after making a duck – his 10th score under 10 – at Old Trafford when caught by WG Grace off brilliant England allrounder Bobby Peel.

Skipper Tim Paine said Mitch Marsh was axed as the all-rounder’s numbers didn’t stack up – and his older sibling simply must deliver in Australia’s second innings.