Australia settle on Marsh and Head as T20 openers

New Straits Times

5 days ago

DARWIN: Australian white-ball skipper Mitchell Marsh says he will open the T20 batting with Travis Head for the foreseeable future as the team looks for stability at the top leading into next year's World Cup.
Australia have had a series of different openers in the game's shortest format since David Warner retired last year, including Matt Short, Glenn Maxwell and Jake Fraser-McGurk.
Marsh will partner Head for the first time in three T20s against South Africa starting on Sunday in Darwin, and said it will stay that way heading into the February World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
"It'll be myself and Heady up the top for the foreseeable future," Marsh said.
"Obviously we've played a lot together, got a great relationship, so (we'll) start there."
Australia are coming off a dominant 5-0 T20 series sweep against the West Indies last month with Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green and Tim David all excelling when they had time at the crease.
The explosive David plundered an Australian record 37-ball century in the third T20, strengthening the case for him to bat higher up the order.
"We've spoken about it ... we saw that in the Caribbean, that he came in earlier than he would normally," Marsh said of David, who usually comes down the order as a power-packed finisher.
"The more balls he faces, hopefully the more games he wins us."
The clash tomorrow marks the return of international cricket to Australia's tropical north for the first time in 17 years and it is a sell-out.
South Africa has a relatively young T20 squad with Aiden Markram back as skipper after being rested from their recent series in Zimbabwe.
Kagiso Rabada leads the attack in a squad that includes four spinners in Prenelan Subrayen, George Linde, Senuran Muthusamy, and Nqaba Peter.
"Every series from here on plays a part in shaping our squads for next year's T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup at home in 2027," said Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad.
"Touring Australia is never easy. We know their conditions and intensity will test us in every department, and that's exactly the kind of challenge we're after."