Ashton Agar defends struggling Marsh, says all-rounder is 'still in the best 6 batters in country'<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Delhi, Dec 30 (IANS) Ashton Agar has thrown his support behind Western Australian teammate Mitchell Marsh, insisting the under-pressure all-rounder remains one of Australia\u2019s top six batters despite a challenging run in the Border-Gavaskar Series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Marsh\u2019s form slump, which has seen him endure five consecutive single-digit scores, has sparked debate about his place in the Test side ahead of the fifth Test at the SCG and two-match tour of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Marsh has managed just 283 runs at an average of 18.86 across nine Tests in 2024. His latest dismissal - a duck to Jasprit Bumrah in Australia's second innings on Sunday - was his fifth consecutive single-digit score in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"We want Mitch playing every game for Australia. He\u2019s good enough to do that. He\u2019s still in the best six batters in the country. He\u2019s obviously had a bit of a tough time lately, but he\u2019s a resilient guy. He\u2019s been through enough in his career to bounce back. Selection just takes care of itself\u2014I know that\u2019s how he\u2019ll be thinking about it,\" Agar was quoted by Fox Sports as saying.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Agar himself has faced challenges in recent times, having been overtaken in Western Australia\u2019s red-ball pecking order by offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli. However, his strong performances in the Big Bash League for the Perth Scorchers have kept him in contention for national duties, including the Champions Trophy squad in February.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
When asked about his prospects of returning to the international stage, Agar stressed the importance of staying grounded.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cHonestly, not at all. There was a lot of noise about (Nathan) McSweeney and (Sam) Konstas coming in \u2026 you can\u2019t escape that. In terms of my own selection, I don\u2019t track it much, to be honest. I\u2019ve probably made that mistake before, earlier in my career.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I know now that if I\u2019m just focusing on playing as well as I can in the game that\u2019s right in front of me, it all ends up taking care of itself. It\u2019s a lot less stressful that way, to be honest,\" he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Agar also heaped praise on another rising star from Western Australia, Cooper Connolly, who has been touted as a potential Test squad inclusion following reserve batter Josh Inglis\u2019s injury.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I know now that if I\u2019m just focusing on playing as well as I can in the game that\u2019s right in front of me, it all ends up taking care of itself. It\u2019s a lot less stressful that way, to be honest,\" he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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