Mitchell Marsh took the game away from England in the middle session at Headingley, writes Ben Gardner.

During his last Test – at the Kia Oval in 2019 – Mitch Marsh laughed as he revealed that he’d been hearing everything being said behind his back. “Yeah, most of Australia hate me,” he said with a what-can-you-do chuckle. “Australians are very passionate, they love their cricket, they want people to do well. There’s no doubt I’ve had a lot of opportunity at Test level and I haven’t quite nailed it, but hopefully they can respect me for the fact I keep coming back and I love playing for Australia, I love the baggy green cap and I’ll keep trying and hopefully I’ll win them over one day.”

At the time, it seemed as if that day would be soon. Australia were 2-1 up, and Marsh’s maiden Test five-for had put them in position to seal their first Ashes series win overseas since 2001. Instead, England surged and a 2-2 draw was secured. On his return home, Marsh broke his hand punching a wall, and lost his spot in the side. Travis Head nailed down his place. Cameron Green closed off the all-rounder slot. It seemed as if that would be that.

While Marsh was in the squad, the idea of him being in an Ashes XI on merit was so remote that him marking out his run-up on the first morning at Edgbaston produced a genuine jump-scare among the Aussie press-pack. As it was, it took an injury scare to get him back in.

The first and third sessions of today belonged squarely to England. But for two hours in the middle, Mitch Marsh was god. If you take out the middle session, but leave its final ball, Australia made 114-10. Inbetween, they put on 149 in 26 overs of madness, 114 of which were bashed by Marsh’s blade, Australia’s designated Bazballer leaning on his back at the other end. Marsh dominated the strike, facing almost exactly two-thirds of the deliveries between lunch and tea. And he dominated England, in a manner usually reserved for long nights and hot days down under. The sun didn’t beat down, but the ball came on fast and flew back faster. He hit through the line or swung across it with little care for lateral movement. Having been all over Australia, England quickly looked spooked and short of answers.

Key was Marsh’s deconstruction of Mark Wood, England’s fastest and best bowler on the day. In the final over before the break, Marsh was hurried, playing and missing twice before gratefully walking off. England will of course wonder what the score would look like had Joe Root held onto a regulation chance with Marsh on 12. But they might also regret not starting with Wood after the break, instead opting for Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad. Wood is the hair-raiser, the last-resort exocet, a button pressed by the army general with the words ‘God help us all’. But when he was brought back, it was too late, at least as far as Marsh was concerned. Wood bowled 18 balls in the middle session, 15 of which were faced by Marsh, with 24 runs coming off them. Marsh has always been a pure player of the faster bowlers, and Australia needed that trait today.

This innings, and his wicket late on the day, will go a long way towards endearing him to the Australian faithful, and it was hard not to be won over by his brother Shaun, having clearly pre-empted the hundred with a celebratory skinful, going mad in a Bali bar at the milestone moment. But this will only have enraged England fans further, and entrenched more deeply the place of angst Mitch Marsh occupies in their souls.

Every away Ashes debacle shares several traits, and yet each is unique, and the residing memory of 2017/18 is the grind, hope briefly flickering and then trod into the dust over days rather than sessions. Mitch Marsh was front and centre, with hundreds at Perth and Sydney in games England really didn’t want to play but had to anyway, and if on the list of who England would least like to take the Ashes away, Marsh would be some way near the top.

In part, it’s down to a lack of respect that’s harder and harder to justify. If the other Aussies best England, it’s fine, because they are individually better than England. Marsh, to an extent, embodies Australia, and so if he wins out, there’s something more fundamental at play. England fans don’t understand how Marsh is doing this. But from another point of view, they know exactly how. This is proof personified of everything that makes Australia superior to England. Pipes. Levers. Through the line. Five-nil. F*** off.

The worry now, as far as England are concerned, is the nagging sense that we don’t actually know how good this guy is, and that everyone might have misjudged him. Since he lost his Test spot, Marsh has established himself in Australia’s ODI top-order, picked up big money in the Indian Premier League, and been named Player of the Match in a World Cup final. Marsh now has as many Ashes hundreds as David Warner, Adam Gilchrist and Ian Botham, to pick out a few. He is 31 years old, and, if he can avoid taking his anger out on the furniture, his best years could be still to come.

Australia now face a question over whether he could and should retain his place for the fourth Test, with Green’s injury not a serious one. Can they play together, or is there room for just one, like an antipodean Gerrard and Lampard? Can they combine to be a third seamer between them? Is there a need for a spinner, or can five quicks and Travis Head get through the overs? Could they even make a change up top, leave out David Warner and push someone up?

But these are questions for tomorrow. Today belongs to Mitch Marsh, who will enjoy finally being loved by Australia, and might secretly cherish being disliked by England even more.

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