Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has come out in support of struggling teammate Steve Smith, despite the seasoned batter’s ongoing struggles in Test cricket this year.
As the Aussies prepare to face India in the crucial third Test at The Gabba starting December 14, Marsh has expressed full confidence in Smith’s ability to bounce back and deliver a strong performance against India.
Mitchell Marsh backs Steve Smith to shine in the India vs Australia Gabba Test
Steve Smith has had a so-so outing in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 so far, as he could manage only 0, 17, and 2 in the first two Tests against India in Perth and Adelaide.
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His form in 2024 has been underwhelming, scoring just 232 runs in 13 innings at an average of 23.20, with only one half-century to his name in the formats that he has been dominating for years.
However, Mitchell Marsh remained optimistic about Steve Smith scoring runs for the Aussies in the ongoing five-match Test series against India at home, given his track record and history of stepping up in critical moments. He also hailed Smith as one of the finest Aussie batters.
Not in a position to tell Steve Smith what he should work on: Mitchell Marsh
Marsh was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz, “We know he’s one of our best players ever, and I’m certainly backing him to get some runs. I’m probably not in a position to tell Steve Smith what he should work on. We know he’s a class player, and he’s scored a lot of runs for Australia, and we know at times when we’ve needed him, he always seems to step up.”
Meanwhile, India is heading into The Gabba following the Adelaide setback, but they have fond memories of a historic triumph in 2021 when they broke Australia’s fortress to clinch a memorable three-wicket victory in the fourth Test.
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Well, the Indian cricket team will be aiming to draw inspiration from the last Gabba success, but Marsh insisted that the hosts are not looking much into the past results while highlighting their strong comeback in Adelaide. He added that the Australian team is determined to stick to their game plan as they are aiming to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing Test series against India.
Mitchell Marsh excited to take on Jasprit Bumrah in Brisbane
The Australian all-rounder added, “The biggest thing for us is just focusing on this week and not what’s happened in the past. The way we bounced back from Perth was an example of that. We’re really focused on playing our style this week and hopefully going 2-1 up in the series.”
Speaking about the Jasprit Bumrah threat, Marsh noted, “We know right now he’s probably the best bowler in the world. It’s just about getting up for that challenge; it’s a big series. You want to take the best in the world on. That is certainly my mentality. Looking forward to facing him again.”
The Aussie star noted that every Australian batter has their own plans and they are ready for the battle with one of the best bowlers in the world at The Gabba, saying, ‘It is about applying pressure with your own method and taking the challenge on.’.
