Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade to play in first T20 on South Africa tour as middle order finishers

Mitch Marsh missed the entire home summer after breaking his hand punching a dressing room wall. Now he and Matthew Wade will form a new-look middle-order for the first T20 against South Africa in Johannesburg.

Mitchell Marsh featured in last year’s Ashes but missed the home summer through self-inflicted injury.

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Mitchell Marsh is set to return to Australian colours on Friday night as selectors ponder his international future.

Australia is poised to bring Marsh and Matthew Wade into a new-look middle-order for the first Twenty20 against South Africa in Johannesburg, following Glenn Maxwell’s injury-forced withdrawal.

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Marsh missed the entire home summer after breaking his hand punching a dressing room wall as he attempted to put runs on the board in the Sheffield Shield for Western Australia.

Mitchell Marsh featured in last year’s Ashes but missed the home summer through self-inflicted injury.

It was a moment of madness that cost him Test matches, though showed how much securing a baggy green cap meant to him.

But after watching the team play without him over the summer, Marsh is back and expected to bat at No.5 for the first T20, with Wade at No.4 – as selectors look to the pair to prove themselves as finishers just months out from the home World Cup.

During his recovery Marsh could barely clasp a knife and fork to eat, but now he has a genuine opportunity to win his place back in all three formats.

He is picked for the three-match ODI series to follow in South Africa, and for the next Test series in Bangladesh this winter Australia may need a pace bowling all-rounder to slot in at No.6.

Matthew Wade’s BBL form has earned him a recall to Australia’s white ball squads.

Marsh made his T20 international debut at this very ground, The Wanderers, way back in 2011, and started that day with four sixes in an innings of 36 off 21 balls.

Australian captain Aaron Finch won’t confirm his side until the toss on Friday night in Johannesburg, but selectors are tipped to stick with a winning combination in the bowling attack and back in two spinners in Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar, and paceman Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.

Kane Richardson would appear likely to edge out namesake Jhye Richardson and Sean Abbott for the final bowling spot, although Abbott was excellent during the BBL and his debut T20 back in November.

D’Arcy Short is the other batsman in the party, but Wade and Marsh are set to get first crack.

Steve Smith talked up all three candidates, but said Wade is the most in-form cricketer in Australia.

Marsh has another chance to establish himself as a multi-format international this year.

“I think we’ve got pretty much all bases covered here at the moment. It’s a really good squad,” said Smith.

“Mitch played well in The Big Bash, and scored some runs at the back end. We know how strong he is and he’s done it at this ground before, many years before, smacking a few big balls.

“Matty Wade is obviously coming off the back of … he’s been in terrific form and his game is in as good a place as anyone in Australia at the moment.

“And obviously D’Arcy Short who is there at the moment as well, he’s been incredibly consistent in T20 cricket for some time now.

“We’ve got most bases covered and plenty of quick bowlers, a couple of spinners, so can chop and change the way we want to play. I think we’re in a good place.”

Australia were triumphant in the Twenty20 series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka to start the summer, and the spinning partnership of Zampa and Agar were deemed key to the success.

Even in the Highveld of South Africa with conditions famously pacy and bouncy, Australia are likely to back the two men who can take pace off the ball.

Marsh says he spent much of his self-inflicted injury layoff practicing six-hitting.

The all-rounder was a strong performer for the Perth Scorchers during the BBL.

If Australia has lacked anything in their T20 and ODI cricket of late it has been in the middle-order, needing combinations that can capitalise on the hot starts put on the board by David Warner and Finch.

It’s hoped Wade and Marsh can provide that versatility and power in the back overs.

Originally published as Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade to play in first T20 on South Africa tour as middle order finishers