Five contenders to replace injured Marsh

Australia have suffered their first casualty on the Qantas Tour of India with Mitchell Marsh sent home to start his rehab on an injured shoulder.

Coach Darren Lehmann has confirmed Marsh will be replaced by an allrounder, and seeing as there are already two spin-bowling allrounders in the squad (Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar) it’s likely a batsman who can also stand the seam up will be picked.

Below are five contenders who could replace Marsh for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Moises Henriques – NSW

2016-17 Sheffield Shield statistics

M: 8 | Runs: 659 | Ave: 65.90 | HS: 265 | 100s: 2

M: 8 | Wickets: 3 | Ave: 62 | SR: 113.3 | BB: 1-16

Henriques is the obvious choice to replace Marsh. The 30-year-old has four Tests under his belt – all in Asia – and played his last match in the Baggy Green in last winter’s tour of Sri Lanka, making four and four. Henriques has been in career-best form for the Blues this summer, epitomised by a sublime 265 against Queensland at the Sydney Cricket Ground. A side injury prior to the KFC Big Bash League season threatened to derail his season, but the resilient right-armer recovered to lead the Sixers to the BBL final and star for NSW in the four-day format. With the ball he’s bowled only 27 overs in 2017, but if selected, he is a fine exponent of reverse swing.

Hilton Cartwright – WA

2016-17 Sheffield Shield statistics

M: 9 | Runs: 520 | Ave: 37.14 | HS: 94 | 100s: 0

M: 9 | Wickets: 6 | Ave: 63.83 | SR: 81 | BB: 2-38

At the end of the home international summer Cartwright was the incumbent allrounder having made a shock Test debut at the SCG against Pakistan. Batting at No.6, the right-hander made a solid 37 and bowled just four overs in the match. When it came time to select the Test squad for India, interim chairman of selectors said Marsh was chosen over Cartwright because of his superior bowling skills. Now that the fifth bowler has been barely used in the two Tests in India, perhaps Cartwright comes back into calculations. In Shield cricket since his first Test he’s been modest with the bat, with a score of 94 against Tasmania his only half-century.

James Faulkner – Tas

2016-17 Sheffield Shield statistics

M: 6 | Runs: 269 | Ave: 33.62 | HS: 100no | 100s: 1

M: 6 | Wickets: 10 | Ave: 37 | SR: 73.2 | BB: 2-26

Faulkner made an important breakthrough this season by scoring his first Shield century for Tasmania, an unbeaten 100 against NSW in Hobart. The left-armer has been a permanent figure in Australia’s limited-overs teams for a number of years now but is yet to add a second Test cap since his debut at The Oval in 2013. While he isn’t an express pace bowler, Faulkner possesses a vast inventory of change-ups and slower balls, which could be potent on the spinning pitches in India, a destination where he has plenty of playing experience in the Indian Premier League and once crashed a 57-ball century in the ODI format.

Marcus Stoinis – Vic

2016-17 Sheffield Shield statistics

M: 7 | Runs: 172 | Ave: 15.63 | HS: 46| 100s: 0

M: 7 | Wickets: 8 | Ave: 39.5 | SR: 59.8 | BB: 3-45

While Stoinis hasn’t been at his best in Shield cricket this summer, he let the world know of his potential with a jaw-dropping performance in Australia’s ODI outfit. Stoinis played with maturity beyond his 27 years and two international caps, clobbering 146no against New Zealand in Auckland to resurrect the tourists from the brink of defeat to the cusp of victory. The win wasn’t to be, but it proved to the rookie he has what it takes at the game’s elite level. International form is looked on favourably by the selectors, and while he’s managed just 85 runs in five first-class innings since the New Zealand tour, his overall record for the Bushrangers matches up well against Henriques and Marsh.

Jack Wildermuth – Qld

2016-17 Sheffield Shield statistics

M: 8 | Runs: 501 | Ave: 35.78 | HS: 110 | 100s: 1

M: 8 | Wickets: 17 | Ave: 34.05 | SR: 60.8 | BB: 5-40

The 23-year-old would be a bolter of a selection but then so too was Matt Renshaw just a few short months ago. Wildermuth is having a sterling season for the Bulls. The allrounder posted his first century of the Shield season today, batting at No.6 against Tasmania in Hobart to put the visitors in complete control. Two weeks ago he showed what a dual threat he is with 5-40 and scores of 40 and 51 at the Adelaide Oval against a powerful South Australia bowling attack. The right-hander is only three seasons into his first-class career but is highly regarded in the Sunshine State.