Lehmann challenges Marsh
While Australia coach Darren Lehmann might be overjoyed with
his team’s endeavours in this Ashes, winning the series with two games to go, he
has called for the younger Marsh brother, Mitchell, to carry on with his form.
Mitchell Marsh hit a brutally brilliant 181 against England
in the third Test, helping Steven Smith and his team in the process to win the
game by an innings. However, as impressed as Lehmann was, he stated that
playing well in one game doesn’t really amount to much without a level of
consistency.
"The challenge for him is to back that up again; one
innings doesn't make a cricket career," Lehmann said of the younger Marsh
brother.
The former Deccan Chargers coach also claimed that the
younger Marsh’s bowling was a bit of a “disappointment” and that the player
himself spoke to him about it.
"I thought his bowling was a little bit disappointing,
which he spoke about with me the other day.
"He's got to get his bowling right, his fielding right
and his batting and if it all comes together that's fantastic."
In short, Lehmann wants Mitchell Marsh to become hell of an
allrounder.
The Kangaroos’ coach then went on to speak about his captain
and compared him former captains, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting, stating
that the aforementioned two strived when the burden of leading the team was
placed on their shoulders.
"'Pup' (Clarke) and Ricky Ponting, at times, were
exceptional captains and exceptional batters, when they were leading the
team.," Lehmann said.
"Statistically you only see that at the end I suppose,
but the way he's gone about it, averaging 72 or 73 as a Test captain, that's
pretty special.
Steven Smith has been in exceptional form since taking over the
captaincy and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the former left-handed batsman.
Lehman has seen Smith develop as a batsman in Tests right from his first Test
century in 2013 to his career high score of 239 in the latest Test.
"To see him evolve from his first Test hundred at The
Oval (in 2013, soon after Lehmann took over as coach) to now, he just changes
his own plans to whatever the bowlers are doing and whatever the wicket's doing
and what the game needs.
"He's just gone to another level."
Indeed, the way that Smith has metamorphosed from a promising leg-spinner to a world class batsman is astonishing to say the least. When he came into the scene, he was tagged as the successor of Shane Warne, but while he might not have been that for the Baggie Greens, he has certainly emulated the previous batting greats.
