“He’s a match-winner, Mitch Marsh”: Shane Warner believes Mitchell Marsh should have played Ashes 2021-22 Sydney test over Usman Khawaja

Ashes 2021-22: Shane Warne believes Australia missed the trick by not playing Mitchell Marsh over Usman Khawaja in the Sydney test.

Australia have wrapped up the Ashes 2021-22 by winning the Boxing Day test in Melbourne. However, they still can’t take the remaining two games lightly. The Ashes is decided, but the 24 points of the World Test Championship are still to play for. Australia would want to take all 60 points from the series.

As expected, Usman Khawaja replaced Travis Head in the eleven in the Sydney test. Travis Head is missing this game after a positive Covid positive result. Khawaja has been in top form in the Sheffield Shield. He has scored 326 runs this season at 81.50, where he has scored two consecutive centuries. Usman batted at the number four slot for Queensland in the Shield games, and it makes him an obvious replacement.

Ashes 2021-22: Shane Warne tips Mitchell Marsh as “match-winner”

Shane Warne ahead of the game said that he would have preferred Mitchell Marsh in this game. He insists that Khawaja deserves his chance, but as a bowler, he would rather bowl to Khawaja than Marsh.

“I’m sure the selection would have gone for a while,” Warne said on Fox Cricket.

“Australia has been waiting a long time for Mitchell Marsh to come good .. and right at the moment he’s in the form of his life.”

“For me, I just think as a bowler who would I rather bowl to, Khawaja or Mitchell Marsh? I’d much rather bowl to Khawaja. Mitchell Marsh can hurt you, he’s dangerous and we’ve been waiting for him to have a chance.”

Warne has hailed Mitchell Marsh as a “match-winner”. He insists that this would have been the best time to test Mitchell Marsh in front of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

“Khawaja deserves his chance, don’t get me wrong,” Warne said.

“But we’ve been waiting a long time for Marsh to come good and what a time now, when you’ve won the Ashes, what a time to say ‘have you got it at this level? You’re going to be tested against Broad and Anderson, let’s see what you’ve got in this form’.”

“He’s a match-winner, Mitch Marsh.”