Heading into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy finale on Friday, Australia are contemplating changes to the Melbourne Test-winning team with the spots of Mitch Marsh — enduring poor form — and, crucially, Mitchell Starc — nursing an injury — under scrutiny.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australia head coach Andrew McDonald conceded that Marsh ‘hasn’t been scoring as many runs as selectors would like against India’ and Beau Webster, who is in the squad, could be given a look-in.
The report also added that McDonald was confident that ‘Sean Abbott or Jhye Richardson could step up if Mitchell Starc was to be ruled out of the SCG Test due to injury.’
After beating India in Melbourne to go 2-1 up in the series, Australia reached Sydney on Tuesday and had a training session on Wednesday, where Starc did not bowl in the nets. The pacer, however, said he ‘expected to play on Friday’.
The report quoted a team spokesperson saying that the injury ‘is more a case of general soreness that tended to get better the more Starc got into his spells.’
“Clearly Starc is carrying something of some description,” McDonald said. “Other than that, it looks as though we got through pretty unscathed.”
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Whether McDonald makes changes to a winning combination remains to be seen but he acknowledged Marsh hasn’t been in a good form. “He’s in a good [head] space,” McDonald was quoted as saying by the daily. “Would you like better performances? There’s no doubt about that. Over four Test matches, he hasn’t been able to deliver at the level he would like and we would like. He’s up and about, though. We just won a Test match.”
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Marsh, batting at No. 6, has scores of 4, 0, 5, 2, 9 in the last five innings. The Sydney Morning Herald reported all-rounder Beau Webster is ‘raring to go if given a Baggy Green after impressive performances at Sheffield Shield level.’
“He is the only player alongside Garry Sobers in Sheffield Shield history to make more than 900 runs and take 30 wickets in a season,” the report added.
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