Why Mitchell Marsh cannot start the first Ashes Test

We won the game at lords 2015 comprehensively by 405 runs . Cook and Stokes were the only two making big runs in that first innings, they were the most vital wickets as they were moving towards big centuries and the rest of Australias bowlers (lyon starc hazel wood) could not get them out. So playing Marsh there was a good decision And your correct about the sort of pitch to play Marsh on in England though. His record at the oval in 2015 was even more compelling where we won the match easily. It seems he has a case for london pitches if the decks are not to green. Its august so we are later in summer this ashes. lets see how the pitches are prepared but with no other medium pacer he has to be considered on his record and the internal aussie game. I wouldn’t be relying on his batting but the flatter decks assist the other aussie batsman for sure like warner , and the players that come from one day backgrounds hitting square of the wicket with less discipline. I do hope Marsh is not selected at Edbaston where he has failed in 2015 and the pitch indicates we will need more batsman and gritty ones too which is why I like a Labaschange in the middle order but Langer has a thing for Marsh and Wade I think. Lets see. At lords if the pitch is right he’s practically out only medium pacer and may fit in. typically matches at lords have turned in to flatter decks even if the first innings keeps low scores. Its not always the case per the recent irish match but last years test against India , the preceding years and the 2015 saw some big runs scored by at least one side and some times both . Marsh has to be considered for lords . In the last series it was where Australia dominated alongside the oval . He played in both but was ineffective on the northern pitches which moved about a lot more needing good line and length and seam/swing bowling.

Marsh took 2/23 and 1/18, dismissing Cook (96), Stokes (87) and Ballance (14). The wicket of Stokes was an important partnership breaker but he hardly 'decimated' anyone. Cook and Stokes both copped on trying to hit balls that kept a little low. Besides, Lords 2015 WAS a road, at least early in the game. It was exactly the kind of pitch I'm talking about. One where Marsh's batting weaknesses aren't likely to be a factor and where he can be important as a fifth bowling option.

Not sure about that James. In lords in 2015 Marsh decimated englands top batsman and was one of the keys to australias biggest win of the series. He bowled well in the internal game. In edbaston in 15 he was ordinary and got no wickets and no runs. Theres no way Marsh should start at Edgebaston but id say they may eye up his selection at lords and the oval where he was extremely effective last ashes. His batting has been ordinary full stop. Surprised the media seems to think they will go with Wade in front of Labauchsagne tomorrow which Id have the other way around given the english form and seems they are undecided on head v marsh which I find staggering at edbaston given the pitch and form there recently

The more I'm reading it seems they are going with Wade in front of laubauchange and considering head v marsh. . I would have gone with laubas english county form and head on lead up form . I think at Edbaston in 2015 marsh was ordinary and ineffective . However theres a big case for him at lords where in 15 he ran through the key english players with his bowling and was critical in a huge win. Horses for courses in england.

SuperMitch's first class batting average against non-test opposition is still only about 34.5 in over 100 completed innings. This isn't someone who's a stellar batsman who just hasn't yet fired at test level. This is someone who's been at most barely adequate as a batsman over a long period at first class level, and abysmal at test level, except for the last Ashes series when the selectors mollycoddled him, bringing him in only on a road in Perth when England were clearly demoralised and with not one bowler in good form. His bowling may be ok, but at test level a fifth bowler is a usually underused luxury - someone just to bowl a few overs for variety or to give someone a rest - rather than a necessity. Steve Smith could do the job quite easily. There's simply no need to keep handicapping the batting lineup with SuperMitch just because of the remote possibility that he'll find some hidden batting talent that's so far been undetectable.

Maybe. But I think a natural equilibrium will be reached though at some point not long from now.

Ha! That's much younger than when I got hooked on cricket and it's history at age off 11. It doesn't really matter if ball is dominating right now though does it? Lot's of opportunity to see some great bowlers plying their craft and the batsmen of now having to sandbag their approach/technique to overcome in trying conditions. Five years ago and before it was all about how it had become such a batsman's game (shorter boundaries, DRS, bigger bats) that the art of bowling would die out. Now we are seeing the opposite in Test cricket - and look what just transpired in the WC where it was very much a bowlers tournament. The pendulum will go one way, then the other. And hence why we don't need knee-jerk responses to "adjust" the game because of 2 or 3 year trends!.

Quite possibly. But it's all part of the ebb and flow of Test cricket over the last 150 years. The pendulum will continue to move one way or the other as cricket adjusts and adapts. That's the beauty of it and its storied history.

Paine (final series) ? UNtil a keeper of quality can come up to replace him he'll stay. We'll also need another captain and with Head the most logical choice (outside Cummins or Lyon or Usman) he still needs to cement his spot.

I also think we put too much expectation on batsmen to have a 40-45 Test average, when 35-40 is now actually the norm worldwide. Only half of batsmen in all Test teams have averaged above 40 in the last two years.

definitely. all time greats come along about 1 or 2 every 10 years. yet we have 458 capped test cricketers.

Stop pushing back against group-think, Peter. It's unbecoming.

Did anyone mention you not being allowed to disagree, Qwetzen? I guess a free character appraisal is all part of the service. Most of us are just happy watching bat on ball and assessing performances on what we see, not what we think of the person. We wouldn't want any vitriol to creep into our language, would we.

He was in the 140s up to about 2012 I think. His pace dropped off after that but was still bowling the same way for the next few years and hat saw him discarded. It's been the last few years he's found a new way to make use of his 130-something pace.