Mitchell Marsh`s Poor Form Made Way For Beau Webster
Australia has named 21 year old Beau Webster in the Test side for the third Test against India which will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the New Year’s Test after dropping Mitchell Marsh from the XI. This is the only change to the squad that beat India 2-1 in Melbourne where Starc was named in the squad despite reporting rib soreness during the Boxing Day Test.
Marsh has had a rough series, registering no double-digit returns in his past five trips to the crease. He has bowled only 33 overs and was down on speeds after pulling up sore from Perth Test. “Mitchy hasn’t obviously quite got the runs there and maybe wickets this series,” Cummins said on the eve of the Test. “So we thought it was time for a freshen up and Beau Webster’s been fantastic.
“It’s a loss for Mitchy, because we know what he can bring to a team, but we feel like this is a good week for Beau to get his chance.
By contrast, Tasmanian all-rounder Webster has averaged 57.1 in first-class cricket since March 2022, and taken 81 wickets at 31.7. The 31-year-old Cardiff native became the first player in a Sheffield Shield season since Sir Garfield Sobers — the West Indies great — to score 900 runs and take 30 wickets. Before this series, he scored an unbeaten half-century for Australia A vs India A in the first four-day match at Mackay and returned two three-wicket hauls during the second in Melbourne.
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“Really excited for Beau, so the first thing he [Marsh] said was ‘I can’t wait to watch Beau go out and have a crack,’” Cummins said. “In Australia especially I think when a batter misses out or gets dropped it’s always a massive thing. But how [Australia coach Andrew McDonald] and the selectors and I look at is we love bringing a squad of players together that we can call upon at different times.
Australian Playing XI Against India At SCG Test
Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
