"I was struggling down my end" - Cameron Green credits Mitchell Marsh for brilliant ton against New Zealand

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green opened up about his innings against New Zealand in the ongoing first Test. He admitted that he was struggling to get going but Mitchell Marsh took all the pressure off him.

Cameron Green was the shining light for Australia on Day 1 of the ongoing first Test against New Zealand. Asked to bat first, Australia were struggling at 89/4. It seemed that they would get all out under 200, especially with how the hosts were bowling.

However, it was then Cameron Green who stepped up for the team. The all-rounder struggled initially in his innings and was batting at five off 28 balls. But as soon as Mitchell Marsh (40) joined him at the crease, things looked completely different.

Mitchell Marsh (40) took all the pressure off Cameron Green as he batted aggressively and helped the team get some quick runs. This allowed Green to take some time to get into the groove. And once he was in, he took away the game from the Black Caps.

Cameron Green then looked rock solid at the crease. He defended the ball pretty well and also took calculated risks. The all-rounder brought up a sensational century and played a lone warrior knock for his team, with other batters perishing after starts.

Talking about his innings, Cameron Green highlighted how batting at No.4 suits his game. The all-rounder pointed out how Mitchell Marsh’s innings allowed him to settle in as lanky No.6 scored runs quickly. Speaking to reporters, he explained;

“I was struggling down my end, and I know how Mitch [Marsh] plays having played quite a bit with him for Western Australia

It’s where I like batting for Western Australia [No.4 position], it suits my game and I found it tough batting after Heady for a few years.

“He [Marsh] just made scoring look a bit too easy, and I’d take a bit of time to get in. So someone like Mitch Marsh is actually beautiful for that [No.6] position. How he goes about is just as aggressive if not more aggressive than Heady, so number four suits me. But it’s just whether or not that suits the team.”

I thought his innings was really crucial for us today – Cameron Green on Mitchell Marsh

Cameron Green also lauded Mitchell Marsh for his 39-ball 40 runs knock. He pointed out that the all-rounder put pressure back on New Zealand when things were tough for them. He added that Marsh’s innings helped them take the shine off the ball and put the opposition on the back. He added:

“He always loves to score and that was exactly what we needed at the time. Just to put some pressure back on them when it was tough out there, and somebody who’s looking to score is really dangerous. I thought his innings was really crucial for us today, just to put them on the back foot and try to take a bit of shine off the ball.”

Apart from Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith (31) and Usman Khawaja (33) played vital hands at the top of the order. However, they both got out after starting well. At stumps on Day 1, Australia were 279/9 with Cameron Green unbeaten on 103.