Though he hasn't played Test cricket since December of 2024, Mitchell Marsh can go on to make a comeback in the format with the upcoming Ashes series that will commence from November 21. Australia head coach Andrew McDonald feels that even though Marsh has mostly played in white-ball cricket this year, the team will be "comfortable" in picking him for the Test squad.
Marsh has been in terrific form when it comes to the limited-over format, scoring a total of 555 runs in his last 10 innings across ODIs and T20Is. He is also the captain of the side in both the formats and recently led the team to a 2-1 series victory over India. McDonald also highlighted how Marsh's batting stats in red-ball cricket were among the best since the 2023 Ashes Test in Headingley.
"We would be comfortable picking someone, and if you want to put a name to it, Mitch Marsh, out of white-ball cricket, if we felt like that was going to benefit the Test team. He's the captain of the white-ball team. It's very hard for him to vacate and balance out Test preparation, if he was to be in the window for that," McDonald told reporters in Canberra.
"We feel he's batting as well as he has for a long period of time. And when he got dropped last summer, I think he was one of our highest averages from Headingley [in the 2023 Ashes] to that point. He hit a bit of a flat patch there, and we felt it best at that time to bring Beau Webster in," he added.
Marsh to play Sheffield Shield?
McDonald further stated that Marsh can make his way back into the Test set-up by participating and impressing in upcoming matches of the Sheffield Shield.
"We still haven't given up on Mitch Marsh's Test career. So what would the prep look like for him? It would have to be through white ball or maybe some Shield cricket after white ball if he isn't in that first squad and then [he] he can press his claim through that. There's Shield [rounds] five and six also when we're playing the Test matches, where players that aren't in the first Test will obviously go to work then," McDonald stated.
Marsh's career in Tests
Notably, Marsh does have quite a bit of experience when it comes to red-ball cricket and has so far played 46 matches in the format. He has 2083 runs under his name, including three centuries and eight fifties. He has also contributed in the bowling department, picking up a total of 51 wickets. Amid there being doubts over his selection for The Ashes, the 34-year-old will be seen leading the Baggy Greens in the five-match T20I series against India that will commence from October 29.