Mitch Marsh’s first of two potential Ashes auditions was over inside the first hour of play at the MCG after he loosely slashed at a wide delivery.
Marsh, who has been speculated to be in contention for a late Ashes cameo, was picked for his first red-ball game since the Boxing Day Test.
After he was forecasted to open the batting against Victoria, Marsh batted at No.3 behind Western Australia’s tried and tested openers Cameron Bancroft and Sam Whiteman.
Australia’s white-ball captain played some commanding strokes to the applause of an excited crowd in the members area but they were treated to just 9 of 16 balls.
Marsh should have been given a closer taste of opening when Whiteman was dropped inside the first over off Mitch Perry.
Perry got one to move away off the wicket from the left-handed Whiteman but it was put down by a diving Sam Harper behind the stumps.
The in-form quick repeated the same delivery shortly after and Harper was able to hold on, bringing Marsh to the crease in the fifth over with the score 1-11.
Marsh confidently punched his first ball to mid-on and got off the mark with an authoritative pull shot for four on his third ball.
It was a typically entertaining second full over at the crease for Marsh, with two crunching boundaries bookending successive LBW appeals.
Perry was hard going for Marsh, forcing the umpire to decide his fate before taking the equation into his own hands by catching Marsh’s outside edge.
Aside from two short balls, which were forcefully punished, Perry bowled beautifully to Marsh for the majority of their 13-ball battle.
Marsh will have another opportunity to make the Australian selectors think ahead of the Big Bash League break.
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