Published: Dec 26, 2018, 09:43 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 26, 2018, 09:43 AM (IST)
Allrounder Mitchell Marsh who had replaced Peter Handscomb in Australia’s playing XI for the 3rd Test received a hostile reception when he was called upon to bowl as early as the 20th over on day one of the Boxing Day Test match on Wednesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne.
Marsh, a native Western Australian, replaced local boy Handscomb and fans in the Great Southern Stand made their disapproval of dropping Handscomb known by booing Marsh.
Marsh and Handscomb have been trading places in the Test side since the last Ashes with neither of them doing enough to cement their places in the XI. Handscomb was not picked for the UAE tour and after two below average performances with the bat in the first two Tests, he was benched in favour of Marsh, who would give skipper Tim Paine an extra bowling option on the flat MCG track.
Over their last five Tests, Marsh averages 10.4 with the bat, while Handscomb averages 17.1.
The 3rd loudest boo at the MCG, (after anything involving Kohli, and the MCC killing a wave) is Mitchell Marsh coming out to bowl #AUSvIND
— Dominic Dirupo (@DominicDirupo) December 26, 2018
He didn’t receive a warm reception from the Melbourne crowd, but Mitchell Marsh has been Australia’s most effective bowler today, in terms of false shots drawn. 17% of his deliveries brought an edge or a miss – he could be crucial to lower the workload on a flat deck. #AUSvIND
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) December 26, 2018
The incident was even discussed in fox Commentary with Adam Gilchrist and Harsha Bhogle walking down the memory lane on a similar incident when and young adam Gilchrist walked out at Perth for Western Australia, but was still booed by the home crowd because he was replacing WA’s long standing wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Zoehrer.
