If he hadnt been dismissed for 0, 3, 0, 11 he'd be getting some time in the middle to find some form.
And I suppose making those runs in test matches, against good quality bowling, when you've played just one innings in the 6 weeks prior to the series (in a completely different format), is just a piece of piss, especially when you're new to it and have only played 3 tests previously?
Unlike so many on here seem to be, I don't really give a flying **** what he's done for WA in the past, I care far more about what he's done for Australia and what he could do for us and while he's had a terrible series so far, it's not exactly hard to figure out why that could be the case.
Sure it may be that he's not mentally strong enough, but that didn't look to be the case in his previous tests for us, when he ground out long innings, in sometimes tough conditions, looking fantastic, when most others in the side weren't making runs.
Having seen what he did in those initial tests, it's far more likely that his current form is more due to the lack of matches in the lead-up to this series and the fact that his confidence is low, that is causing him to struggle.
As they said on Inside Cricket last night, in these games against India he's been leaving his bat out to dry, or seeming unsure how to play those balls outside off, which is the exact opposite of what he was doing in Sri Lanka and Sth Africa, where he was leaving ball after ball and making them "bowl to him", with outstanding results. (He was batting like Usman does, but with actual scoring shots in between all the leaving and blocking). If he gets back to that in Adelaide, he could very easily get back to kicking ass again, like Warner did in the last match, after he too looked ordinary and unsure how to approach things early in this series. ("Marsh could do worse than to draw inspiration from Warner's astonishing innings of 180 in Perth. In the days leading up to the Test, Warner was struggling to lay bat on ball in the nets and, like Marsh, began to seriously question his own form."- The Australian) Or like Huss did in Melbourne and Sydney, after he also had a string of very low scores in a row.
The simple fact is that Marsh has enormous natural ability, which is what those of us who watch the IPL (and his various matches in Australia's ODI and T20 side) have seen on show there numerous times, in high pressure games, with millions watching. He doesn't dominate games there because he's a "battler" with no talent, or a "slogger", with no technique. He is pretty much pure class and that was also on show in his first few tests for us. This would be why he was rushed straight back into the side when he was passed fit again, because they know how good he is and can be and they want to see if they can bring it out of him on a consistent basis, while they still have the chance.
As everyone has noted, there aren't many "banging down the door" (for batting spots) in domestic cricket at the moment, so I don't think it's unreasonable for those selecting the side to want to see if they can bring out the best in someone who has about as much natural ability and class as anyone at domestic level and who, just 3 months ago, made a big test century on debut (after the other side had just been bowled out for 175 on their home deck). I hope they do, because he is someone who could really be outstanding for us for a long time to come (if his body lets him, which is of course a big "if") and be a "bridge" between the older ones in the side and the really young ones coming through.
Here is what Mickey Arthur said about Marsh, when he was coaching him at WA last summer, for those that don't rate his ability:
"Shaun Marsh is the most talented batsman I have coached and that goes with all our players at South African level," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Arthur, as saying.
". A. B. de Villiers and Shaun Marsh are the two best I've seen. It's a big rap and I mean it. He's a phenomenal player. He's the cleanest hitter of the ball I've seen. He should be playing Test cricket, there's no doubt in my mind," he said.
http://www.topnews.in/sports/marsh-not-hughes-should-open-australia-perth-test-arthur-214808
