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Australia coach Mickey Arthur believes struggling top-order batsman Shaun Marsh will regain the stunning form he showed early in his Test career.
Marsh made a spectacular start with a century on his debut in Sri Lanka but has since been dismissed three times for a duck in his past four Test innings.
He was trapped lbw for nought in Australia’s disastrous innings of 47 in Cape Town before suffering a back injury which cut short his tour of South Africa.
Since returning from that injury Marsh has posted scores of 0, 3 and 0 in the two Tests against India at the MCG and SCG.
But Arthur, a long-time supporter of Marsh from his time as coach of Western Australia, had no problem keeping the 28-year-old left-hander in the side going into next week’s third Test in Perth.
“It’s always tough coming straight back,” Arthur said of Marsh.
“He had quite a severe injury and was out for six weeks where before the injury he was right on top of his game.
“It’s going to take him a little bit of time to get that back.
“As I said before Sydney, we’re comfortable that we’ve got the best top six available to us right at the minute. We’ll get a lot more work into that top six come Perth.”
Such faith in the struggling Marsh is admirable but must leave NSW left-hander Usman Khawaja wondering why he has never been given such an opportunity in the Baggy Green.
Khawaja has played six Tests since debuting in the final Ashes Test last summer, one more than Marsh, but mostly in a stop-gap role – never playing more than three consecutive Tests.
Khawaja was dropped for the third Test in Sri Lanka and the Boxing Day Test against India in favour of Marsh.
But former South Africa coach Arthur believes Marsh will justify the selector’s faith in Perth.
“He has been a little out of touch but form’s temporary, class is permanent,” Arthur said.
“Shaun certainly has a lot of class and is one that is definitely worth persevering with,” Arthur said.
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