Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh exuded supreme confidence in his form and mental preparation ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India. The aggressive bat and pace bowler says that he has worked hard to become better equipped to deal with failure and improve his mental game.
Marsh, during his early years from 2014 to 2019, had a torrid time in Test cricket. The 55 innings he batted averaged a mere 25.20, with only three centuries and six fifties. This brought his selection in the side into question because he is the son of legendary Australian cricketer Geoff Marsh. Marsh’s comeback into the Test setup was also impressive against England in the 2023 Ashes series, where he had scored 540 runs in five Tests at an astonishing average of 67.50, including a century and four fifties. That form flowed into the 50-over World Cup for Australia, in which he was quite instrumental with 441 runs from 10 innings with two centuries and a fifty.
Speaking to FOX Cricket, Marsh spoke about how he has focused on the mental side of his game. “I have worked hard on my mental preparation,” he said. “No matter how nervous I am, I make sure I follow my pre-ball routines.” Marsh underlined the point that preparation gives him confidence. And if he fails, manages to move on just by saying to himself he has done his best. There was a time when he would not let go of failures. And the after-effects spilled over into the next innings. Now, he does it better and focuses on quickly moving on and learning from mistakes.
Marsh said it allows him, even though such preparation does not guarantee success, to enjoy more games this way. “It allows me to enjoy the game no matter what the situation is,” he said. “I now have tools that help me cope better.”
Marsh did not forget to mention the losses his team had suffered at the hands of India in the lead-up to the Test series, either. Australia hasn’t beaten India in a series of Tests for ten years. And lost the previous two series in 2018-19 and 2020-21. “We have grown as a team since then,” Marsh said. “Our experienced group is motivated and so will be our fans.”
The much-talked-about Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia kicks off on November 22 in Perth. The second Test will take place from December 6-10 at the Adelaide Oval. Later, the Boxing Day Test will dominate the Melbourne Cricket Ground between December 26-30. The final Test is planned from January 3 to 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
ANI
