New Delhi, Dec 30
Ashton Agar has thrown his support behind Western Australian teammate Mitchell Marsh, insisting the under-pressure all-rounder remains one of Australia’s top six batters despite a challenging run in the Border-Gavaskar Series.
Marsh’s form slump, which has seen him endure five consecutive single-digit scores, has sparked debate about his place in the Test side ahead of the fifth Test at the SCG and two-match tour of Sri Lanka.
Marsh has managed just 283 runs at an average of 18.86 across nine Tests in 2024. His latest dismissal - a duck to Jasprit Bumrah in Australia's second innings on Sunday - was his fifth consecutive single-digit score in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
"We want Mitch playing every game for Australia. He’s good enough to do that. He’s still in the best six batters in the country. He’s obviously had a bit of a tough time lately, but he’s a resilient guy. He’s been through enough in his career to bounce back. Selection just takes care of itself—I know that’s how he’ll be thinking about it," Agar was quoted by Fox Sports as saying.
Agar himself has faced challenges in recent times, having been overtaken in Western Australia’s red-ball pecking order by offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli. However, his strong performances in the Big Bash League for the Perth Scorchers have kept him in contention for national duties, including the Champions Trophy squad in February.
When asked about his prospects of returning to the international stage, Agar stressed the importance of staying grounded.
“Honestly, not at all. There was a lot of noise about (Nathan) McSweeney and (Sam) Konstas coming in … you can’t escape that. In terms of my own selection, I don’t track it much, to be honest. I’ve probably made that mistake before, earlier in my career.
"I know now that if I’m just focusing on playing as well as I can in the game that’s right in front of me, it all ends up taking care of itself. It’s a lot less stressful that way, to be honest," he said.
Agar also heaped praise on another rising star from Western Australia, Cooper Connolly, who has been touted as a potential Test squad inclusion following reserve batter Josh Inglis’s injury.
"Cooper's a gun. There’s been a lot said about Cooper. I think he’s probably the best young player I’ve seen in my time. He’s so talented. He’s got a very mature head on young shoulders. He reads the game really nicely. He enjoys playing the game and he enjoys big moments, so hopefully big things to come," said Agar.