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Mitchell selects Test cricket over IPL
Sydney, Jan 1 (IANS) Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh wants to skip the Indian Premier League (IPL) in an attempt to prolong his Test career.
The 26-year-old last played for Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL. He was sold to the franchise for Rs.4.8 crore during the IPL auction in 2016.
“It was a fairly big decision from a money point of view but my ultimate goal is to play Test match cricket for Australia,” Marsh told the media here on Monday.
“That’s the lure of the IPL, the money and playing in India. But I made the decision based on my cricket. When I made that decision I didn’t really think I was going to be back there this quickly. But I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to play 14 red-ball games over there if I can, and try and improve,” he added.
Marsh, who has picked up 29 wickets and scored 893 runs in 23 Tests for Australia also said he wants to concentrate on the limited overs series in England in June and wants to perform at his best for his country.
“Looking forward we’ve got a lot of cricket coming up in England over the next few years and I want to give myself the best opportunity to be over there and get used to the conditions,” the Australian said.
“I certainly understood that (I needed to adapt better) when we went there for the Ashes a couple of years ago. Paying in their conditions for a whole summer, I’ll get flat wickets, I’ll get wickets that seam and swing,” Marsh added.
–IANS
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Sunil Gavaskar gives his opinion of GT allrounder Rahul Tewatia
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.