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Marsh's motivation not Maxwell-related

Veteran batsman digs in after fielding fumble draws rare emotion on day two

Among the traits that the strong admirers of Shaun Marsh within and around the Australia Test team often air when his name is bandied – or trashed, as the case may be – in the public domain, the one that stands out is ‘unflappable’.

His cricket acumen has been known since he was a teenager earmarked for the long and bountiful international career that he has still not yet managed to nail down at age 34, but it’s his temperament that remains a key consideration whenever he’s fit and available for selection.

He is, after all, the auxiliary batter who slotted into the opener’s role for the final Test of Australia’s horror tour of Sri Lanka last year and – after all before him had failed spectacularly against the home team’s trio of spinners – produced the first century by an Australia player in that winless campaign.

Less than a year later, Marsh was entrusted with the No.4 job for the watershed series in India where he top scored in his team’s first innings of the second Test and Bengaluru.

And then contributed a match-saving half-century that occupied four hours of the next match in Ranchi, and which enabled Australia to keep their trophy hopes alive heading into the series finale in Dharamsala.

When he’s on the field, Marsh remains a man of few words and rarely engages in lengthy or regular chats with his batting partner on the pitch, even when circumstances – as they did on those two ultimately unsuccessful tours and again today – would tend to dictate otherwise.

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So even if he was aware of the deeds being perpetrated by Glenn Maxwell, the man who held the No.6 batting berth immediately prior to the team for the first two Magellan Ashes matches being named, at North Sydney Oval this afternoon he would likely have remained unaffected.

The news that Maxwell had peeled off a sparkling century before Marsh went to the wicket with Australia under the pump at 4-76 in pursuit of England’s 302 would have yielded little outward response, if indeed the left-hander was kept up to speed.

And certainly by the time that Maxwell had posted his career-high score and sailed on past 200, Marsh was so deeply enmeshed in his latest act of resistance with his captain Steve Smith that, had it been posted on the Gabba video screens in luminous letters, he would have remained stoically oblivious.

Maxwell proves class with blazing 200

But there was one moment yesterday when the veteran Western Australian, as beloved by teammates and coaching staff as he is pilloried by the wider public (often for reasons no less incendiary than he gets selected in the team), did let slip a flash of frustration.

It was as the Australian players met in the middle of the Gabba having wrapped up England’s innings in a rush with a haul of 6-56 in barely an hour’s cricket, and headed to the dressing room with their chase due to begin on the other side of lunch.

True to history, it had not been a straightforward morning for the recipient of 24 Test caps over more than six years.

As his team searched for England wickets on a moribund Gabba pitch, Marsh had converged on a ball struck deep into the outfield at the same time as Australia’s fast bowling spearhead Mitchell Starc was running at it from the opposite direction.

As Starc slid on his knees to intercept the potential boundary, Marsh extended his left leg to perform a similar act and the spikes on his cricket shoe caught on the bowler’s left thigh, slicing open a section of his trousers and drawing blood from a nick marginally above Starc’s knee.

Starc left bleeding after Marsh collision

While the claret didn’t flow as readily as did memories of Starc’s previous encounter with sharp metal, the fielding drill last summer at which he severely gashed his leg on the steel lance of a set of training stumps, the sight of him hobbling to the dressing rooms to receive an adhesive strip was precisely what Australia didn’t need.

And if Starc was miffed by the near miss, his mood was undoubtedly darkened an hour later when – back at the bowling crease and showing no signs of discomfort – he induced a top-edged hook shot from England tailender Stuart Broad that flew towards Marsh, still patrolling the leg side boundary.

Regarded as a safe outfielder with a strong throwing arm, Marsh scuttled to his left to position himself under the chance but – mindful of his proximity to the boundary and the potential that brought to gift England six runs – he failed to close his hands around the catch.

Which meant the ball slipped though his fingers, on to his head and then his shoulder before bobbling across the rope and adding four runs to the total that was sneaking towards 300.

Marsh shocker ends in falcon and four

When Broad did finally hole out (to Josh Hazlewood) the following over, Marsh was noticeable among the Australian team huddle frustratedly slapping his hands together in what – by his undemonstrative standards – could be interpreted as an extreme act of self-flagellation.

As a consequence, if anything was providing additional incentive for Marsh when he entered the arena to start his innings – in addition to helping his team recover from a dire situation and wrest the Test’s initiative back from England – it would have been to make amends for that missed opportunity.

Not to quiet the vocal doubters who will never be convinced, not to show the selectors that their faith was well placed, and not to issue a rebuttal to Maxwell’s innings that was unfolding in all its glory as Marsh took guard against Test cricket’s most successful current new-ball attack.

England lose 6-56 on second morning

As his teammate Nathan Lyon revealed at day’s end, which saw Marsh unbeaten on 44 and Australia clawing its way back into the contest, he carries the unblinking support of those in the team kit.

"I’m a massive fan of Shaun Marsh," Lyon said, adding his voice to former Test great Adam Gilchrist who expressed his admiration for the fellow left-hander to cricket.com.au earlier this week.

"I’m very good mates with him and the way he batted against us in Shield cricket (for WA against New South Wales) a couple of weeks ago, it really put his name up in lights for me.

"I know I said to Smithy (Steve Smith) ‘he’s in the form of his life, he looks composed, he looks calm at the wicket’ so I’m very happy with SoS (Marsh).

"I’m also very confident that he can come out and again build a big partnership with Smithy tomorrow morning.

"It’s going to be challenging, but it’s a great opportunity for SoS."

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21