When Mitchell Marsh was slated to bat at No.5 for Western Australia, he would not have expected to walk in to bat after three balls. But that’s precisely what happened as both Cameron Bancroft and Jayden Goodwin perished in successive deliveries to leave WA reeling at 0/2 after 0.2 overs.

Marsh successfully negated the hat-trick ball from Michael Neser, and helped Western Australia get through the initial storm. However, after playing a couple of attractive strokes off Mark Steketee, crunching two boundaries, the right-hander perished for 13 to become Neser’s third victim of the day.

It goes without saying that the Australian management will be keeping a close eye on Marsh’s form leading up to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With Cameron Green injured and unlikely to bowl in the BGT even if he recovers from the back injury he’s carrying, Marsh becomes the primary seam-bowling all-rounder. More than his bowling, though, the management will want the 32-year-old to continue the rich vein of form he showed with the bat in hand last summer.

Since his return to the Test side last year, Marsh has played 10 Tests and has averaged 46.87.

He won the Allan Border Medal last year, the most prestigious individual prize in Australian men’s cricket which is awarded for the country’s standout performer in a particular calendar year.

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