The fourth Ashes Test, which begins on July 19 at the Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, will feature all-rounder Mitchell Marsh instead of Cameron Green, according to Ricky Ponting. After losing the third Test by three wickets at Headingley in Leeds, Australia now leads the five-match series 2-1.
Mitchell Marsh, who replaced the injured Green, earned a spot in the starting XI for the third Test. After all other batsmen struggled against England’s bowling attack in the first innings, he scored a valiant century. It is noteworthy that it was his first Test since the 2019 Ashes’ championship match.
If just one of the two all-rounders could participate in the Manchester Test, Ponting said he would pick Marsh. Notably, Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald earlier said both all-rounders would start the game rather than starter David Warner.
‘If they are content to retain Warner in the team, then regrettably it’ll be Cam Green that misses again,’ Ponting said on the most recent episode of the ICC Review. ‘What we saw Mitchell Marsh do with the bat in the first innings, we haven’t seen Green look like doing that so far in this series.
Cameron Green is a very talented young man, according to Ricky Ponting
Who also commended Green and called him a “very talented young man.” The 48-year-old did, however, acknowledge that nobody would ever forget Marsh’s heroics in the third Test, where he scored 118 in the first innings and claimed two crucial wickets in two innings.
“I know (Green) is a tremendously skilled young player, but with the national series on the line and what Mitch Marsh contributed in the last game as well as with two top-order wickets, let’s not forget about the wickets that he got. The former Australian captain continued, “I believe they might retain him.