Ashes: Australia’s ton-up Mitchell Marsh has return to remember | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Mitchell Marsh played a pivotal role in Australia’s total of 263 runs after their batting lineup faltered around his blazing century on the opening day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
Marsh’s impressive knock of 118 runs off just 118 balls became the cornerstone of Australia’s innings.
England’s fast bowler, Mark Wood, was the standout performer, capturing five wickets for 34 runs on a pitch displaying a tinge of green.This substantiated the decision made by England captain Ben Stokes to bowl first.
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, capitalised on the early advantage by dismissing two English batsmen, leaving them struggling at 22-2.

However, the introduction of Marsh, who was making his return to Test cricket after nearly four years, proved to be a turning point. He showcased his all-round skills by taking a brilliant catch at first slip off Zak Crawley’s bat, courtesy of a delivery from David Warner.

This exemplified Australia’s superior fielding performance throughout the day.
At the close of play, England were 68-3, trailing by 195 runs, with Joe Root unbeaten on 19 and Jonny Bairstow on one, both playing on their home ground in Yorkshire.
England endured another day of missed opportunities as Root dropped a straightforward catch at first slip when Marsh had only scored 12 runs. Additionally, wicketkeeper Bairstow failed to grasp a chance down the leg side when Travis Head was on nine.

Root’s dropped catch proved costly for England, as it would have reduced Australia to 98-5. This mistake was particularly significant considering England’s 2-0 deficit in the five-match series.
Marsh capitalized on these let-offs and constructed a superb century, forming a crucial partnership of 155 runs with Head, who contributed 39, the second highest score in Australia’s innings.
Marsh was included in the playing XI only after fellow all-rounder Cameron Green was sidelined due to a hamstring strain following Australia’s victory by 43 runs at Lord’s last week. This Test match marked Marsh’s return to the longest format of the game after his last appearance against England at The Oval in 2019.
“There’s always times when you spend a bit of time away from the game where you think you might not get back,” Marsh told reporters.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work, I chose to have ankle surgery and miss last summer to get on this tour knowing I was going to be Greeny’s understudy. Really proud to get back.”
But from 240-4, Australia lost their last six wickets for 23 runs as Durham quick Wood, in his first Test since playing away to Pakistan in December, ripped through the tail.
His wickets were badly needed by England, a bowler down after Ollie Robinson limped off shortly before tea with a back spasm.
“It was a great feeling to take five wickets,” Wood told Sky Sports. “It was the first time in front of my mum and dad so I’m delighted.”
He added: “We felt a couple of wickets away, but Mitch Marsh played fantastically well and was difficult to bowl at.”
Marsh drove and cut England’s quicks with authority before lofting Moeen Ali for six to go to 99.
A single off the spinner saw Marsh reach his hundred in just 102 balls including 15 fours and three sixes.
It was his third hundred in 33 Tests, all his centuries coming against England.
The 31-year-old was eventually out when he inside-edged Woakes off his thigh to Crawley at second slip.
Australia, 240-5 at tea, then collapsed in a hurry with Root catching Head off Woakes the ball after he had dropped Alex Carey.
The 33-year-old Wood took the fielders out of the equation by clean bowling Mitchell Starc and having Cummins plumb lbw for a second-ball duck.
Wood ended the innings by bowling Todd Murphy for the fourth five-wicket haul of the injury-prone paceman’s 29-Test career, but first in England.
The hangover from England’s controversial defeat at Lord’s continued, with Australia players booed by spectators still upset by the dismissal of Bairstow, given out stumped when he thought the ball was dead, in the second Test.
But the jeers turned to cheers as Stuart Broad removed Warner fifth ball for the 16th time in Tests, with the aid of a fine slip catch by Crawley.
Wood, showing what England had missed in his absence, then bowled the usually obdurate Usman Khawaja (13) with a 95 mph delivery that flattened the opener’s leg stump.
Steve Smith walked out in his 100th Test fresh from a hundred at Lord’s but fell for 22 when caught behind off Broad, the senior bowler in an attack without the rested James Anderson.
(With inputs from AFP)