No Test ton, but Marsh family celebrate Mitch's latest triumph

For all his triumphant moments across international cricket's three formats in the past two years, today's Test outing against Pakistan would likely have exceeded them all for Mitchell Marsh had he found an additional 10 runs.

Since November 2021, Marsh has been part of Australia's trophy-winning outfits at the T20 World Cup (in the UAE) and its one-day equivalent (in India) as well as belting a stunning hundred on his return to the Test team during this year's successful quest to retain the Ashes in England.

But such is the 32-year-old's devotion to family and friends who provide his bedrock in Perth, a crowning achievement of his reinvention as one of the nation's most valued and celebrated players would have come from completing a Test ton on his home track.

For almost three hours across yesterday evening and this morning, that seemed an increasingly likely possibility as the Marsh clan watched on from a viewing suite in the Justin Langer Stand, their swelling pride interspersed with bouts of nervous angst.

There had been more of them in the house on Thursday evening when Marsh went to the crease at the fall of fellow World Cup hero Travis Head's wicket, with the Perth faithful rising in unison for the man who four years ago only half-jokingly conceded "most of Australia hates me".

In addition to his parents Geoff and Michelle and older brother Shaun, the Marsh clan included Shaun's wife Bec and the couple's children, along with both of Mitchell's grandmothers with the passing of his maternal grandfather during the World Cup campaign still carrying heavy poignancy.

As is his obsessive custom, Mitchell made sure he was aware of where his family members were located and after yesterday's national anthems ceremony he could be seen scouring the stands then waving furiously once he had pinpointed his kin.

"To be honest, I was a little bit emotional walking out," Marsh said of his first appearance at the expansive Perth Stadium as a Test batter on Thursday evening.

"It's quite a surreal feeling when you have your friends and family, but I guess most importantly Western Australians getting behind you.

"It's been six years since I played (a Test) here and my first game at Perth Stadium, so that was an incredible experience."

Despite his view about his "most hated" status, based on savage social media critiques that dogged his every mis-step after making his Australia debut as a star-in-waiting more than a decade ago, Shaun Marsh understands his brother has always been held in high esteem by loyal fans in the west.

"He's always had great support here in Western Australia," Shaun told cricket.com.au.

"He's such a good person and the WA public really get behind him, even when things were tough for him you always felt he had the support of the West Australian crowd.

"To hear that reception for him yesterday when he walked out to bat, it was pretty special for him and for his family and friends up here."

Shaun also concedes he's found himself consumed by nerves at times when watching his younger sibling bat, even though many of those occasions came when they were on the same team and occasionally in the centre forging a batting partnership.

But the former Australia Test batter who announced his retirement from first-class cricket last summer revealed that having witnessed the way Mitchell started his innings yesterday, he felt comfortable the early signs were good for a substantial contribution.

"For him to get through that sticky period last night at the end of the day, it's never easy to bat late in the day especially with his game plan to go out there and take the game on," he said, noting that enabled him to take in the occasion more calmly.

"I thought he did a really good job to get through, and then to come out today with the way he batted, it was awesome."

Even the pair's father Geoff, another revered member of Australia's Baggy Green Cap brotherhood, was a slightly more serene presence throughout Mitchell's innings on both days than at other times during their careers.

When the Marsh boys batted together during the inaugural day-night Test between Australia and New Zealand at Adelaide Oval in 2015, their dad became so consumed by anxiety he felt compelled to leave the ground and walk aimlessly along city streets while checking their progress on his phone.

But while he politely declined offers from broadcasters to be interviewed as Mitchell closed in on a century today, noting he preferred to wait until he reached the milestone that ultimately didn’t arrive, he remained in his seat throughout his youngest son's 177-minute, 107-ball occupation.

Shaun was left to wonder whether the more settled circumstances that Mitchell now enjoys off the field, which are also cited as a factor in his evolution to integral team member and admired character, might have helped settle unease in those who watch him so intently.

"I think it's a lot to do with his outlook on life," Shaun said of Mitchell's continued rise as a cricketing force.

"He's got a beautiful wife in Greta who's been amazing for him, as has her family.

"They've got a farm down in Gracetown (in WA's Margaret River region) that he gets to a fair bit, and I think it's just a really nice way to get away from cricket.

"So I think he's got a real nice balance with that and his family, and he just seems really happy.

"Family is such a big part of Mitch's life.

"He knew we were all here yesterday, the grandparents and all his close mates and family.

"To make sure he could see us up here, it was a special moment for us to be able to come to a Perth Test match."

"The way he's playing at the moment everyone is just really proud of him and I hope it continues for him."

Although the Marsh brothers honed their formidable skills through fiercely competitive boyhood matches on the family tennis court, there is no trace of sibling rivalry to the extent Shaun hopes Mitchell – currently playing his 36th Test – "smashes" his own record of 38 appearances.

These days, their cricket conversations drift more towards treasured memories they share such as the centuries they posted while batting together during the 2017-18 Ashes Test at the SCG although Shaun admits that chat invariably centres on the mid-pitch celebration that nearly brought about a run out.

It's unlikely they'll again grace the field together in top-level cricket despite Shaun's impending return to Perth Premier Cricket this weekend before he heads to Melbourne and rejoins his BBL franchise, the Renegades.

But once he's observed that Mitchell is batting the way he wants to, and is remaining true to his ethos of playing his shots and moving the game forward, Shaun finds he can relax sufficiently to enjoy the show and offer no critique beyond positive feedback and unflinching support.

And while Mitchell acknowledges that a home-town century in front of his most ardent and important supporters would have crowned the scarcely believable exploits of the past 24 months, he's also mellowed to the point he can accept whatever fate delivers.

"I actually felt it was a pretty good ball although I did try to hit it out of the stadium," he said of the first delivery after today's lunch break that cost him his wicket having reached 90.

"But I'm going to have to cop those ones on the chin at times.

"It would have been lovely to do it for the family, especially my nanna who I could see in the stands today, but it wasn't meant to be.

"We've had an incredible twelve months and couple of years as a team.

"Team success always outweighs personal success and that's always the way I've played, so I'll take 90 and move on."

NRMA Insurance Test series v Pakistan

First Test: December 14-18, Perth Stadium (1.20pm AEDT)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG (10.30am AEDT)

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (10.30am AEDT)

Australia squad: (first Test only) Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, David Warner

Pakistan squad: Shan Masood (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi