Shaun Marsh’s stunning 126 not out in Adelaide proves he is game’s true enigma
WHEN Australia needed someone to answer the SOS, an unlikely hero stepped up. But Shaun Marsh’s ton - in a sense - proved why he is the most maligned batsman in the country.
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LONGTIME Shaun Marsh watchers reckon they have never seen him more animated on a cricket field.
Marsh celebrated his breakthrough Test century by briefly sprinting towards the dressing room.
He then raised his arms in pure elation, leapt in the air with his mouth open and flashed a grin which morphed into a deeply satisfied, frozen stare of a man who might be standing on top of Mt Everest looking down at where he had climbed from.
Then, after a few seconds of party time, he was back in the heavy armour suit he wore for most of his marathon stay.
Marsh can celebrate all he likes after completing the innings he has been craving for since he made his first class debut 16 years ago.
In a sense this knock proved what can be achieved when all seems lost.
Marsh was not only omitted from Australia’s recent tour of Bangladesh but Australia dropped him from the contract list in a clear sign his days as a Test cricketer were over.
Yet here he is, back again, relishing in his eighth start in Test cricket.
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He claims the advent of recent fatherhood has put his cricket career in focus.
For many years Australia has held the belief that Marsh was the batsmen who had the potential to do it but never quite did it.
Bat to save a game, to win a game, back foot blasts, front foot drives. He had the lot - Mickey Arthur once compared him to a young AB de Villiers - but a form lapse, an injury or both always seem to thrust a bananas peel under his heal.
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He is an unusual player in that the gap between the best of him - on Sunday - and the worst of him - a series against India where he could barely score a run - are as great as any batsman.
That he has scored eight Test ducks shows how hard he had to battle early nerves.
Finally, all the threads have come together in an innings which he has been working on in one way or another since he was a short pants schoolboy mucking around in the Australian nets with his father 20 years ago.
Marsh left the ball skilfully, drew the bowlers towards him and then unfurled shots off both feet.
The pull shot was a productive source of runs but as England changed their tactics to him there were runs behind point, the occasional drive and plenty of nibbles and nudges with his lofted straight six off Stuart Broad just before the declaration the perfect punchline.
Every ball he faced had a little invisible tick beside it because England had sent Australia in so the pain increased for the tourists with every back breaking hour they spent in the field.
At times it was almost as if he was batting in a trance as he spent an age in the 30s and 40s.
He played an missed many times but was never rattled, always happy to play the long game.
In a sense his innings only enhances his standing as one of the game’s true enigma’s, the quiet unpretentious soul who is the most maligned batsman in the country.
Though 34 - a year older than the age when his father played his last Test - he could bat on for years if he played like he did in Adelaide.
Originally published as Shaun Marsh’s stunning 126 not out in Adelaide proves he is game’s true enigma