Australia’s No.4 batsman Shaun Marsh drives through the off-side en route his century against India ‘A’ at the Brabourne Stadium yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Like father, like son. In 1986, Australia’s opening batsman Geoff Marsh scored a hundred in his maiden first-class game on Indian soil in Bangalore. Thirty-one years later, his son Shaun performed a similar act at the Cricket Club of India against India ‘A’ on Day One of Australia’s tour opener.
Riding on centuries from skipper Steven Smith (107) and No 4 batsman Shaun (104), Australia scored 327 for five against India ‘A’ at the Brabourne Stadium.
In 1986, Geoff squared up to the Indian Board President’s XI and scored 139 against the Ravi Shastri-led team at the Garden City’s Chinnaswamy Stadium in response to the Board President’s XI first innings score of 239 all out. With fellow opener David Boon he put on 116 runs.
Pradeep Sunderam, who opened the bowling in 1986 with Pradeep Kasliwal — both Mumbai residents — recalled Geoff being dropped at gully by India leg-spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan off his bowling early in his innings. “It was a classy innings. He played a lot of shots square off the wicket,” said Sunderam.
Geoff Marsh on his 1986 tour of India. Pic/mid-day archives
Yesterday, Shaun joined captain Smith at the crease with the scoreboard reading 55-2 . He took his time to settle down; his first six runs coming off 26 balls. After the lunch break, he hit two boundaries off India ‘A’ captain Hardik Pandya — a cover drive and a square cut which beat the point fielder. Shaun got his fifty off 86 balls and was lucky when he was dropped by Navdeep Saini at short mid-wicket off Akhil Herwadkar when on 88. Shaun completed his century with a sweep shot off Herwadkar which went to the boundary. He retired at 104 and in came his brother Mitchell who stayed not out on 16. Shaun hit 11 fours and a six during his 173-ball knock.
“It always gives you a bit of confidence when you have a good day in a warm-up game. It was nice to spend some time out in the middle. Smithy batted really well and all the other batters got a bit out of it as well. So it was a good day,” Shaun told reporters after the day’s play.
Spinners Gowtham, Kuldeep missed dearly at Brabourne
India ‘A’ had a tough day at the Brabourne Stadium yesterday as they missed the services of their off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham in the post-lunch session. Gowtham suffered a hamstring injury while fielding and did not bowl a single over during the day. The team’s left-arm spinner, Shahbaz Nadeem bowled 23 overs, but went wicketless and gave away 90 runs. As the team management had already released chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav on Thursday as he is part of the India team for the first Test against Australia on February 23, skipper Hardik Pandya had no option but to use part-time spinners Akhil Herwadkar and Shreyas Iyer alongwith medium pacer Priyank Panchal. The Australians went on to score 327 for 5.
— Subodh Mayure
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