Mitchell Marsh said he had to overcome a tremendous fear of failure to revive his Test career. (Reuters)
Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh’s brutal initiation to Test cricket and a first half of a career bogged down by expectations to perform ended with a ruthless snub in 2019.
For nearly five years since debut in 2014, Marsh’s red-ball career hinged on potential over consistency, with two Test hundreds in the 2017/18 Ashes even elevating him to the vice-captain’s role ahead of the ball-tampering marred series 2018 series in South Africa.
Marsh lasted for three more games and was dropped from the side during the 2019 Ashes in England. While Mitch’s elder brother Shaun and father Rod Marsh had relatively successful Test careers, Mitch admitted that being booed by the local crowd during the 2018 Boxing Test against India at MCG marked the nadir of his career.
“The truthful answer is I’m human, and anytime I walk out to bat, I’m s****ing myself like any other bloke,” Marsh told Fox Cricket.
Marsh’s dramatic return to the XI occurred four years later, again in the 2023 Ashes in England, as a like-for-like replacement for Cam Green. Having worked on several aspects, including his mental fortitude, Marsh struck a century in his comeback innings at Leeds while picking up two wickets. He has since made the No. 6 spot in the line-up his own and has seen a white-ball rejuvenation as well, after being promoted to the T20I captaincy.
“I’ve worked really hard on the mental side of my game, to be able to walk out there and get straight into my pre-ball routines, no matter how nervous I am,” Marsh said.
“For me, it’s all about my preparation. If I prepare as well as I possibly can, I go into a game or an innings really confident, then if I fail, I can look at myself in the mirror and say that I’ve actually done all I can. Sometimes it’s a good ball, sometimes it’s a mental error. You learn from that, and you move on quickly.”
Marsh, who became a father earlier this week, resumed practice with the Australia team ahead of the first Border Gavaskar Trophy Test in Perth. The 33-year-old Marsh is also slated to take up bowling duties again after having bowled five overs since May.
