OPINION
Follow UsBetter late than never. It is a philosophical cliche that brings itself to life quite repeatedly. Sports has many examples itself. During Match 58 of IPL 2022, between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals, Ravichandran Ashwin notched up his maiden IPL fifty. He has five Test tons. He has been playing IPL since 2009. He has never earned the credentials of a T20 batter though. But this season, he has showcased his mettle as a white-ball hitter in decent opportunities with the bat. He capped off his efforts with his maiden fifty in 14 years of playing IPL.
In the same match, however, his effort was surpassed by another maiden fifty. Mitchell Marsh milked the Rajasthan attack for 89 runs off 62 balls. Such was the purity in each of his seven sixes, you won’t believe it was his first fifty in a tournament in which he made his debut back in 2010. Though, this was only his 27th match in the competition’s history.
That tells you a lot about Marsh. All the talent in the world but outside of the Big Bash League, there is very little substance in his numbers to vindicate the big talk. In over 10 years of international career, he has played only 63 ODIs, 36 T20Is and 32 Tests. His talent has kept him relevant all these years, especially in white-ball cricket. The skillset of hard middle-order hitting and handy medium-pace is hard to find. Going by the prophecies during his teenage years, he should have been a bonafide match-winner already. But undue form or fitness issues have kept him away from the echelons of bonafide all-rounders like Shane Watson or Andre Russell.
IPL 2020 is a prime example. His all-round skills fetched him a contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad. Returning to IPL after four years, he injured his ankle after delivering the fourth ball in his first appearance of the season. It was one more abrupt end to a fruitful career opportunity. It was natural to feel bad for him.
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July 2021 presented another opportunity. Not as lucrative as IPL but still every bit of a golden chance to resurrect his international career. The withdrawal of numerous star players provided him a window to get into the approaching T20 World Cup squad. Australia lost eight out of the 10 T20Is in that period. Marsh was the only silver lining, scoring 375 runs including four fifties. No one else managed more than one. He also picked eight wickets.
It kickstarted an extended period of a purple patch. Marsh was shaky in the T20 World Cup but made up for it with a pristine 77 not out in the final. He was the player of the match. From Australia’s perspective, the purpose of all his talent was fulfilled. But he had more ground to cover.
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In IPL, Marsh began the groundwork quite convincingly on Wednesday night. His 89 is the second-highest percentage of runs by a batter (55.27) in a successful run chase this IPL of over 150. He struck a six more than the whole Rajasthan team combined. He was 2 off 10 at the start of his innings but finished 89 off 62 deliveries.
“The first 4-5 overs were as hard as I have played in T20s. There was swing, seam, and bounce and it reminded me of the Perth stadium,” said Marsh post-match.
More importantly, he put up a masterclass on a perfect T20 partnership. When David Warner struggled with his rhythm, Marsh finished the powerplay at 24 off 23 balls. Both of them went at nearly strike-rate around 135 against spin but Marsh’s tall frame (around 6 feet 3 inches) took down pace at a strike-rate of 150.
The back-of-a-length deliveries have been tricky at every venue except the Brabourne stadium. Marsh blasted it at a strike-rate of 250.
Warner took 17 runs off nine balls against Yuzi Chahal while only 10 off 11 against Ashwin. Marsh scored 20 off 13 against Ashwin and only 12 off 11 against Chahal.
It was in contrast to Delhi's defeat against Bangalore. That night, playing his first game of the season, Marsh was stuck in a rut. His 14 off 24 balls sucked the life out of Delhi’s chase after Warner had set it up. On Wednesday, the same duo put on a clinical show, neutralizing match-ups and optimizing their strengths. Marsh's sublime touch allowed Warner to bide his time.
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Marsh had a tough start to the tournament which reminded you of his 2020 season. He came in with a hip injury, then had a poor game against Bangalore before falling to covid. In his third outing, he looked in fine touch but got out 37 off 20 balls. He would have batted longer that day had he reviewed. In this game, he survived an early LBW call which would have been out had Rajasthan reviewed.
“I honestly thought I smashed it first so I wasn't worried. It was lucky as I look guilty when I know I'm gone,” said Marsh in a jocular tone.
That is how cricket works sometimes. He also had a few more close shaves. At the other end, Warner was dropped and the bails didn’t budge on another occasion. Delhi had more luck in this game than they have had the entire tournament.
But they deserved it with all the other things going against them. Marsh deserved it to unfold his first substantial knock in the IPL. Not to forget, he also picked two wickets in a handful spell of 2/25 in three overs.
In another contrast, Shaun Marsh, Mitch’s elder brother, burst onto the IPL scene in his debut season. Rising beyond expectations, Shaun was the Orange Cap winner in 2008. Mitch has taken 13 years. But better late than never, he has arrived in the league. There is also a sigh of relief. A relief that a player of his talent won’t join the list of successful international cricketers who fail to crack the code in the IPL.
