Mitchell Marsh gives major fitness update ahead of IND vs AUS series

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who is coming off a long injury lay-off after ankle surgery in December, has confirmed that he will only play as a specialist batter in the three-match ODI series against India.

The 31-year-old, however, will be fit to bowl for his franchise Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).

Speaking to reporters, he said:

“Probably still a month, three weeks away from bowling in games. (I am) building towards the IPL. It’s certainly not something I’m rushing back, we’ve got a lot of options in our team at the moment and a lot of cricket to play this year.”

He added:

“The reason I had the surgery was to prolong my career as an allrounder and won’t be rushing back.”

So far, Marsh has scored 164 runs in five ODIs against India, including a century. Earlier this month, he also hit a ton and a half-century for the Western Australian in the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup.

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Mitchell Marsh on the importance of all-rounders ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup

Mitchell Marsh feels that having more all-rounders is critical for teams aiming to win ICC events like the 2023 ODI World Cup. The 31-year-old took the example of reigning world champions England while explaining the importance of depth in the batting line-up.

Marsh said:

“For the balance of our team, having as many all-rounders in here as we can is really important for the structure we line up with. We’ve seen really good teams in the past, England have guys batting at No. 8 who are genuine batters, and it gives you the ability to either set really big totals or chase big totals.”

He continued:

“The more flexibility and depth you can have with your batting line-up, I think it will be really important.”

Mitchell Marsh said that the visitors would look to experiment in the three-match series as they build for the ICC tournament in India.

“I think it is really important for us to focus on winning this series. We might just play a few different lineups, experimenting with a few guys but the mindset is to come here and win the series. It is always a difficult place to win [in India].”

The two teams will lock horns in the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday, March 17.