Ian Chappell Explains How Mitchell Marsh And Cameron Green Can Fit Into Australia's Test Set Up

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell feels that all-rounder Mitchell Marsh can replace David Warner as an opener in the squad for the game’s longer format. However, Ian Chappell emphasized that Mitchell Marsh should open for Western Australia in the upcoming Shield season.

Mitchell Marsh returned to the Australia squad in red-ball cricket after four years. Marsh was named in the starting XI in the absence of the injured Cameron Green. The 31-year-old made the most of the opportunity by scoring 118 runs in the first innings of his comeback game at Headingley.

He’d Have To Convince The Selectors – Ian Chappell

Speaking to Channel 9, Ian Chappell stated that Mitchell Marsh should prove himself as a specialist batter to earn a place, highlighting that two all-rounders can’t play together.

“The opportunity is now there for Marsh to gain a spot in the team as a batter. That’s something he’d have to convince the selectors of. Unless Marsh can make his way as a batter in the top order it’s going to be difficult for the selectors to pick two all-rounders,” said Chappell.

“A lot of it will be up to Marsh and where he sees the opportunity to get into the team. If he sees it as an opener, because he does seem to want to play aggressively, maybe he decides Khawaja needs an aggressive opener with him. Having said that, he would have to open the batting for Western Australia (first),” he added.

Marsh impressed with his aggressive batting in the Test series, scoring 250 runs at an average of 50, including a century and a half-century—the all-rounder bats at the top of the order in both white-ball formats for Australia.

There’s No Good Waiting Until Warner Retires – Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell explained how the two all-rounders could fit in Australia’s lineup in the upcoming matches in the longer format of the game.

“He would have to do it as he comes back to Australia (for the Shield season), there’s no good waiting until Warner retires.

He would have to basically say to them now, ‘I want to open’, and then it’s a matter of whether Western Australia decides they want to open with him. That would be an avenue I could see for Marsh, and that way you could play the two all-rounders together,” he concluded.

Earlier, David Warner expressed his desire to retire from Test cricket in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground against Pakistan next year. Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw are being considered as his backup options.