Even though the veteran all-rounder of Australia, Mitchell Marsh, has been pushing his case for selection for the second day-night Test match at the Adelaide Oval, there is no certainty over his position in the eleven as the team management sweats over the fitness of the Western Australian player.
The broadcaster of SEN, the Perth-born suffered a back problem, which is expected to rule him out of bowling the second encounter of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against India if he is picked in the playing 11. The experienced member of the side had bowled 17 overs in the opening Test at the Optus Stadium as their fourth seam-bowling option.
The selectors added Beau Webster to the squad for his potential replacement, but on Monday evening, when Marsh landed in Adelaide, he informed the media that he had been alright regarding his fitness and was ready for the action.
The fitness concern of Marsh has come after the heels of an injury scare of Steve Smith, who was taking throwdowns from his team-mate Marnus Labuschagne during the net session of Australia on Tuesday when the veteran was hit on the right thumb.
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The New South Wales batter was seen in serious pain and was examined by the medical staff on the side before he left the training session mid-way. The batter has always enjoyed batting against the Indian side with over 2000 Test runs at an average of more than 60, but he failed against the fiery pace bowling attack of the Blue Brigade, consisting of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj.
Australia is yet to get the confirmed fitness status of Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith
Bumrah trapped the Sydney-born before the stumps for a golden duck for the very first time since 2014 before Siraj, with a peach of a delivery, found the outside edge of the batter of Australia into the hands of the wicket-keeper in the fourth innings during the 534-run chase of the home side.
There is still no update on the condition of the batter, but the selectors of Cricket Australia (CA) have selected the uncapped all-rounder Webster as the possible replacement for Marsh. If the all-rounder gets ruled out of the pink-ball Test, then the lanky pace bowling all-rounder could be the perfect replacement.
The NSW pace bowler, Josh Hazlewood, has already been ruled out of the second Test, with one of Scott Boland, uncapped Sean Abbott, and Brendan Doggett likely to take the place. The Victorian pacer is ahead in the race, having already found success in two pink-ball Test matches.
Josh Inglis, the wicket-keeper batter, could be another replacement for Australia if they want to give more power to their batting department, which didn’t click at all during their 295-run defeat in the previous game. He can also be the replacement of Smith if the latter gets ruled out of the Adelaide Test.
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The pressure has highly been on the number three batter, Marnus Labuschagne, who struggled for his 52-ball two-run knock in the first innings before adding just three more runs in the following one. He will look to be back in good form, having been the second-leading run-getter in Adelaide during the day-night Test matches.
Josh Hazlewood, with the injured side strain, will be a huge miss for the home side, especially after his heroics of 5/3 in the second innings of the previous day-night Test against India in Adelaide during the BGT 2020/21 trip.
