Mitchell Marsh has never hidden behind his all‑rounder status to shirk his primary responsibility. To play for Australia, he has always known, hinges on whether he can hold down the No6 spot with the bat. That means tons. But until Saturday, he had not saluted. His reflexive response to the first question flung at him when leaving the field showed how heavy that weight had been, now lifted with this lavish triumph. “It’s only taken 22 Tests.”
Many judges were convinced this would never happen when he returned home from India in March needing shoulder surgery and sporting a Test batting average that gave ammunition to usual suspects who need little encouragement. With his surname, cries of nepotism are a given. Headlines followed that he was the worst No6, statistically, the game had ever seen.
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