Shaun Marsh could have been forgiven for thinking his Test career was over two months ago, but will now end the Ashes as Australia’s most consistent batsman outside of Steve Smith.
Marsh worked his way to his third half-century of the summer on Saturday, to go with his hundred in Adelaide, as Australia put themselves in a commanding position at the SCG.
Coming to the wicket at the loss of Steve Smith (83) and Australia still trailing England’s 346 by 72 runs, Marsh was circumspect in the 127 balls he faced before tea.
The 34-year-old has driven square of the wicket superbly and brought up his 50 in that exact fashion, when he put James Anderson away for his sixth boundary of his innings.
Dumped from Cricket Australia’s contract list last year, this summer’s showings could easily have become a story of what might have been for Marsh.
When selectors looked to the future for the Test squad to tour Bangladesh last August, he was nowhere to be seen and his papers appeared mark.
However he earned a reprieve when he became one of those controversial selections for this summer’s Ashes, with even former Test opener Ed Cowan indicating Smith was surprised by the decision.
But Marsh has rewarded selectors in his ninth life as a Test cricketer.
He first helped resurrect Australia’s first innings in a crucial first-Test partnership in Brisbane with a patient 51, before he registered his first Ashes century in Adelaide.
He also scored 61 in the first innings in Melbourne, before his Sydney efforts took his tally for the summer to above 340 at an average of 68.40.
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