Australia's white-ball skipper Mitchell Marsh has named his ultimate combined ODI XI with India, Australia, and England cricketers, but his selections have drawn controversy. Fox Cricket posted a video where Marsh selected his fantasy lineup, including four Indians but surprisingly omitting two legends in the form of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.
Marsh Selects Warner and Tendulkar as Openers
When asked to select openers from a list that included Rohit Sharma, David Warner, Mark Waugh, and Jonny Bairstow, Marsh opted for David Warner and Sachin Tendulkar. He liked the left-right pairing, listing Warner's aggression and Tendulkar's class. This left out Rohit Sharma, one of the most successful ODI openers of all time.
For the middle order, Marsh selected Virat Kohli, Joe Root, and Michael Bevan, saying that this trio gives both stability and finishing ability. From the list that also included Ricky Ponting, Eoin Morgan, and Michael Clarke, Marsh said he couldn’t ignore Kohli’s consistency and Root’s calmness under pressure.
Gilchrist Over Dhoni and Buttler
On the wicketkeeper's position, Marsh was forced to choose between Adam Gilchrist, MS Dhoni, and Jos Buttler. He chose Adam Gilchrist on grounds of his explosive batting and game-changing capability at the top.
In the video, Marsh explained:
"Gilchrist changed the way wicketkeepers batted in ODIs. He could take the game away in ten overs."
By leaving them behind with this choice, Dhoni and Buttler, both contemporary legends, were omitted. Marsh also said that he shifted Gilchrist to open the batting with Warner, pushing Tendulkar to No. 3.
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Symonds as All-Rounder, Big Names Miss Out
In the pool of all-rounders featuring Yuvraj Singh, Shane Watson, Kapil Dev, Ben Stokes, Steve Waugh, and Andrew Flintoff, Marsh selected Andrew Symonds for his aggressive batting and the capacity to bowl at the right moments.
"Symonds gave balance to any side he played for," Marsh said. His choice left legends such as Kapil Dev and Stokes behind.
Bumrah, Anderson, Gough, and Kumble Compose Bowling Attack
For the bowling lineup, Marsh had to choose from players like Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Adam Zampa, Darren Gough, Jasprit Bumrah, and James Anderson. He selected Anil Kumble, Darren Gough, James Anderson, and Jasprit Bumrah. Because of the rule restricting five Australian players, McGrath, Lee, and Warne were unable to find a place.
Marsh's final combined XI
David Warner, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Michael Bevan, Andrew Symonds, Anil Kumble, Darren Gough, Jasprit Bumrah, James Anderson
The 33-year-old now captains Australia against India in the coming ODI and T20I series beginning October 19, where fans will get to see him back in action after his newfound success as a captain.
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