Australia got it wrong dropping Mitch Marsh in T20 World Cup

Mitch Marsh to return as the Australians realise that batting is their weakness in T20 World Cup

Mitchell Marsh is expected to be recalled to the Australian team for the clash against Bangladesh. Picture: AFP

England’s destructive victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup will send selectors back to the drawing board for Thursday’s clash against Bangladesh, with Mitch Marsh expected to be recalled.

The tournament favourites, England, erased any confidence Aaron Finch’s men gained from their victory over Sri Lanka a few days earlier.

England then turned around and defied the trend of the tournament by smashing Sri Lanka on Tuesday, despite batting first and being just 3-47 after 10 overs in the difficult Sharjah conditions. They found their way to 4-163 by the end of the 20th, thanks mostly to an extraordinary 101no from Jos Buttler.

The batsman, whose first 50 came from 45 balls, made the next 51 runs from just 22 deliveries. He is in imperious form and his teammates are being drawn along in his slip stream.

Australia’s batsmen can only dream of such form, although Glenn Maxwell’s IPL performance suggests a player in nearby territory.

Ashton Agar bats in the loss to England on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

England closed out the most recent game a bowler down despite the dew, which proved detrimental to almost every side who came before them in this tournament.

Australia made one change going into its last match — Marsh made way for West Australian teammate Ashton Agar.

It seemed brave at the time, apparently you could do without Marsh — the only batsman to show some form in the lead-in tournaments. This after David Warner and Finch, the team’s biggest headaches, had finally found some touch with the bat against Sri Lanka.

Australia has to win its remaining matches to be any chance of the finals.

In the match against England it was decided that if Jason Roy and Jos Buttler had a weakness it was against spin, so Agar was introduced.

The toss and a wicket that seemed more suited to seam saw a more traditional approach to the England innings.

Assistant coach Andrew McDonald dismissed the flaccid performance against the old enemy, saying it was “not a true reflection of our batting group” and “you can have these off nights in Twenty 20 cricket”.

Nonetheless expect a reset — the misplaced confidence in the batting after the second game has been changed, the strength of the bowling line-up solidified.

If they drop Agar they have a choice of bringing Marsh back and returning to the earlier wobbly but winning combination. The fifth bowling role can be shared between Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Marsh.

“He (Marsh) is at full fitness. He was available for selection last game, there was no injury,” McDonald said on Tuesday. “He will be back on the selection table and if there is a shift back to the structure of the first two games it is probably likely that he will get the nod among those seven batters.

“He has been a reliable servant over the past 12 months, had some great from lines against West Indies and Bangladesh, so he’ll heavily come into consideration.”

Former international fast bowler Mitchell Johnson says Marsh needs to be recalled but perhaps selectors could look to bat Stoinis at No. 3 and the other all-rounder further down the order.

“They didn’t really need to change anything,” he said. “I don’t think the result would have changed but batting and bowling, you just have to stick to your guns with the batsmen you’ve got and keep them in that order that works. Sometimes I think it really has to be a simple game plan.

“You’ve got to work out who your No.3, No.4, No.5 I think sometimes it gets changed too much and that plays on guys’ minds. Then the bowling side of things, it’s a very good bowling attack.”

Additional reporting: Ben Horne