Brisbane, Dec 12 Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has expressed confidence in senior batter Steve Smith to score runs in the third Test against India in Brisbane after accumulating just 19 runs across three innings of the series so far.
Smith had scored 0, 17 and 2 in the first two Tests of the series. With pressure mounting over his form, Marsh called Smith a 'class player' and backed his abilities to perform for Australia in the third Test following their emphatic 10-wicket win in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval.
"We know he's one of our best players ever and I'm certainly backing him to get some runs. I'm probably not in a position to tell Steve Smith what he should work on. We know he's a class player and he's scored a lot of runs for Australia and we know at times when we've needed him, he always seems to step up," Marsh said on Thursday.
India arrive at the Gabba following a setback in Adelaide but carry fond memories from their remarkable victory at this venue during the 2020-21 series. That historic win ended Australia's unbeaten streak on the ground and secured back-to-back Test series triumphs for the visitors in Australia.
The hosts, however, are focused on the present and not dwelling on past outcomes. After suffering a defeat in Perth, they rebounded strongly in Adelaide to level the ongoing series and will look to maintain that momentum in the third Test.
"The biggest thing for us is just focusing on this week and not what's happened in the past. The way we bounced back from Perth was an example of that. We're really focused on playing our style this week and hopefully going 2-1 up in the series," Marsh said.
Australia's hopes of thwarting India at the Gabba could hinge on their ability to counter Jasprit Bumrah. The world’s top-ranked bowler has been a nemesis for Australia's top order, dismissing Steve Smith twice in three innings and accounting for the other top-five batters - Nathan McSweeney, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head - at least once each in the series.
Marsh, who is yet to be dismissed by Bumrah, believes that applying pressure rather than merely trying to survive against the Indian spearhead is the best approach to tackling his threat.
"We know right now he's probably the best bowler in the world. It's just about getting up for that challenge, it's a big series. You want to take the best in the world on. That is certainly my mentality. Looking forward to facing him again," Marsh said.
"I think each batter has their own plans. As a batting unit we back each other's plans. I think when you have the best bowler in the world and you are just trying to see him off, he is going to have one with your name on it. I think it is about applying pressure with your own method and taking the challenge on," he added.
The third Test will be played in Brisbane from Saturday.
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