Australian Mitchell Marsh may open during ICC Cricket World Cup following red-hot run in all formats

Durban [South Africa], September 4 (ANI): Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh could open for his team during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, having displayed red-hot form across all formats this year. 

Marsh will continue as Aussie white-ball skipper during the five-match ODI series against South Africa from September 7 onwards. Australia had whitewashed South Africa 3-0 in the T20I series against Proteas. 
Marsh will continue leading in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins due to injury, but Australia will receive a huge boost through the return of regulars like David Warner, Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey. Spinner Adam Zampa is also expected to join, though he did not play the final T20I due to a neck injury as a precautionary measure. 
Marsh is in strong batting form this year. It stretches back to his performances against India in three-match ODI series back in March. He made most of his opportunities as an opener in the series by scoring 81, 66* and 47 in the series, which the Aussies won 2-1. 
In three Tests and six innings, he has scored 250 runs at an average of 50, with one century and fifty against England in the Ashes series. In three ODIs, he has scored 194 runs at an average of 97.00, with two fifties. In three T20Is this year, he has scored 186 runs at an average of 186.00, with two fifties. 
An injury to regular opener Warner had opened the doors for Marsh to open but even after his return, Marsh remains at the top order and Warner has been slotted in the middle-order.
During the series against South Africa, Travis Head was Marsh's opening partner on Sunday and played a match-winning 91 in 48 balls. 
"There is lots of options for us moving forward (for) opening the batting," fill-in T20I coach Michael di Venuto, who will give the reins back to Andrew McDonald for ODIs, said of the 50-over opening position as quoted by cricket.com.au. 
"You look at the World Cup – David Warner comes back into the mix, Mitch Marsh, Travis Head, they have all got good form recently, they can all put a case forward to open the batting at the World Cup."
"Tonight Trav was really good, he stood a lot stiller and reacted the ball really well to the ball. He can hit all around the ground," concluded the coach. 
Venuto said that Marsh is a natural leader and is extremely confident in his game. During the chase of 191 in the final T20I, Australia managed to pull it off with efforts from Head (91), Josh Inglis (42) and Marcus Stoinis (37*). 
"Mitch is a natural leader and has been for us for a long time. Now we have got the 'C' next to his name, so he has got a bit more responsibility out on the field," said di Venuto.
"He has been batting like that for the last couple of years, he has playing beautifully in short-form cricket. We saw him transfer that form into Test cricket during the Ashes, he has full of confidence in his own game and has been for a period of time."
"Today he was a little bit under pressure when we were out in the field, we certainly were not as polished with the ball and in the field as we had been in the first two games. So that made a little bit more stressful out in the field for him. But it was a total that we chased down really well," he concluded. 
Coming to the match, knocks from Donovan Ferreira (48 in 21 balls), Reeza Hendricks (42 in 30 balls) and skipper Aiden Markram (41) guided Proteas to 190/8 in 20 overs, with Sean Abbott (4/31) was the pick of the bowlers for Australia. Aussies chased down the total easily. (ANI)