Blistering Marsh puts hand up for red ball return as opener

Mitch Marsh may have emerged as a smokey for the Australian opener discussion, after blasting an unbeaten 46*, including three sixes and two fours against India in Sunday’s One-Day International victory.

The argument is that Marsh, 34, has the experience Australia will need in the 2025-26 Ashes against arch-rivals England, and would slot back into the team quite easily alongside bolted-on opener Usman Khawaja.

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Michael Vaughan was actually the first to start the groundswell, posting that, “Mitch Marsh should open in the #Ashes… just saying,” on social media midway through the Western Australian’s Sunday knock. That sentiment only grew after Australia won by seven wickets in the rain-affected clash, and Marsh was handed the player of the match award.

There’s a big issue that would stop any further discussion, though – Marsh has made it quite clear to his coaching staff behind the scenes that he doesn’t really want to return to red ball formats at the tail end of his career.

That’s not to say that he wouldn’t answer the call should the selectors come knocking, but the 34-year-old is keener to play out his international career leading the green and gold in T20 cricket or in ODI clashes like Sunday.

It makes sense, too, considering he’s looking the goods in shorter formats and could then play on for some years.

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“He’s kind of made his mind up that no, he’s not wanting to play Test cricket anymore and just wants to focus on leading Australia in T20 cricket or playing white ball for Australia,” Mike Hussey said on the whispers. “And then you’re really just focusing on those formats – rather than having to chop and change too much between red ball and white ball.”

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Other arguments would include that Marsh isn’t overly suited to the slog that an opener has to go through, especially with the bowling attack England will bring to bear against the Australian lineup once Perth rolls around in November.

For now, the opener question remains very much open, though; Bison may well be the answer.