Australia has controversially recalled Mitchell Marsh for the Boxing Day Test against India
Surprisingly, it was the hometown boy Peter Handscomb that was dropped to make way for Marsh.
Captain Tim Paine declared that both Handscomb’s lean run with the bat and concerns over a flat MCG pitch played a role in the selection.
With only 68 runs in the first two tests, Handscomb failed to stamp his spot in the squad.
Marsh remains a frustration to many, averaging a modest 26.08 with the bat after 30 Tests and 42.45 with the ball, but he is a Test vice-captain and his fast-medium bowling will help ease the load on frontline quicks Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
There remain fears the MCG deck will again be backbreaking work for the fast bowlers, as was the case last year against England when only 24 wickets fell over five days and Alastair Cook bunted his way to a double century.
While India have delivered 419.4 overs this series compared to Australia’s 356, the home side is also mindful of the quick turnaround before next week’s series decider in Sydney.
“Obviously, it’s a long series. Our bowlers have had a really big workload. We feel that we are going to need Mitch’s bowling at some point. That’s why we have made the change,”
– Australian captain Tim Paine
Handscomb’s weight transfer at the crease is seen by experts as his biggest issue, for he has been unable to come forward quickly enough to drive full balls and has found himself stuck on the crease.
His Test average has slipped to 39 after 15 Tests but Paine said he could return in Sydney as he is a fine player of spin bowling.
“Going to Sydney, a place where it normally spins, I think people come back into the fold pretty quickly because he’s renowned as probably our best player of spin,” Paine said.
“I know he’ll be doing everything he can to get back into the side.”
– Tim Paine
The bigger shadow looming over Handscomb is that of former skipper Steve Smith, who will return from suspension for next year’s Ashes series.
Meanwhile, India has reacted to its battering at Perth by dropping both its openers. Debutant Mayank Agarwal has been named to open the batting, alongside Hanuma Vihari with Rohit Sharma returning to the middle order.
Left-arm finger-spinner Ravindra Jadeja has come in for Umesh Yadav.
Australia XI: Marcus Harris, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (c,wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
India XI: Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
