Australia’s chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said Mitchell Marsh had “given us a good option” ahead of the fourth Ashes Test against England after the all-rounder impressed in a comfortable victory over Derbyshire.
Marsh top-scored with 74 in Australia’s 338-5 declared in Derby.
He then took two wickets in three balls as Derbyshire were skittled out for 112 in their second innings before lunch on Saturday’s third and final day as Australia won by an innings and 54 runs.
The 27-year-old Marsh has yet to feature in this five-match Ashes series which is now locked at 1-1 after England’s dramatic one-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley.
Although England’s top order failed again during a woeful 67 all out in their first innings in Leeds, Australia didn’t bat the hosts out of the match in their second innings.
Australia are set to recall Steve Smith, who made 23 against Derbyshire, for the fourth Test at Old Trafford starting Wednesday after he missed the Headingley match.
Marnus Labuschagne’s place appears secure given he has made three successive Test fifties since coming in as a concussion substitute for Smith.
One way of getting star batsman Smith, whose scores this series are 144, 142 and 92, back into the side would be to drop struggling opener Marcus Harris and promote Usman Khawaja to the top of the order.
Khawaja averages 96.8 in the seven Test innings in which he has opened.
“The area up the top is, not so much concerning, it’s been difficult for both teams up the top of the order so once again that’s an area we’ll be looking at,” Hohns said after Saturday’s close.
“Mitchell Marsh has certainly given us a good option.”
If Marsh is included instead of Matthew Wade, he would give Australia an extra seam bowling option himself and potentially free them up to play Mitchell Starc without worrying the left-arm fast bowler might otherwise prove too expensive as one of just three pacemen.
Old Trafford is expected to provide the quickest pitch of this Ashes, which could boost Starc’s chances of a recall.
“We all know he is an aggressor, so we can’t expect him to change the way he bowls too much,” Hohns said of Starc, who took 4-39 in the second innings, including two in two balls to end the match, against Derbyshire.
“But he is doing everything he possibly can to bowl in the right areas.”