Australian batter Mitchell Marsh has expressed that he has no desire to open the innings in Test cricket once David Warner retires after the ongoing series against Pakistan. Marsh, who generally bats up the order in white-ball cricket, has asserted that he wishes to continue batting at No. 6 in the traditional format.
“How do I answer this without making a headline? I appreciate that there’s talk about it (him opening), and eventually, we’re going to need a new opener with Davey leaving. But I’ve worked really hard to get back into this side, and for me to look forward to having a role as an opener just doesn’t make sense to me,” Marsh was quoted as saying by ‘The Age’ newspaper.
“I love being at number six, and in my last four Test matches, I’ve really found my way and I guess who I am as a Test cricketer, and I’m loving it, so I’m reluctant to change that.” Marsh made a counter-attacking 90 off 107 balls to help Australia reach 487 in their first innings, along with Warner’s 164. Marsh mentioned that batting at No. 6 allows him to play the way he wants—an aggressive brand of cricket—rather than playing a typically patient and long Test cricket innings.
“I think I showed glimpses of the way I played in the last 12 months throughout my career, but probably never really believed in that method. I tried to play the long innings and play like Steve Smith, Davey, and Uzzy (Usman Khawaja), and all those guys who can bat for six hours,” he said.
The 32-year-old also thanked his captain Pat Cummins and head coach Andrew McDonald for allowing him to pursue his natural game. “But I just wanted to come into this Test team and be really true to myself. I’m thankful to Patty (Cummins) and Ronnie (McDonald) for helping me get to this point where I’ve found my method that works,” Marsh said.