In Australia's desperate hunt for a victory, all-rounder Mitchell Marsh emerged as a match-winner, scoring 52 runs off 51 balls as his team chased down the target of 210 runs with relative ease. Marsh's half-century was crucial to Australia's successful chase, and after the game, the all-rounder caught up with the broadcaster where he was asked a cheeky question by Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar. On being asked about the coaching he received from his father Geoff, Marsh had floored everyone with his response to Gavaskar.
Gavaskar, who has played against Mitchell Marsh's father Geoff, poked fun at Jr. Marsh's strike-rate, saying his father, who had a contrasting style of play in comparison to his son, must have taught him to play like this. In response, Mitchell said that he is just trying to make up for his father's poor strike-rates.
"Didn't your ever teach you to play like this? (gestures with a defensive shot) Because all you're doing is BANG, BANG, BANG," said Gavaskar. In response, Marsh said: "I'm just making up for his poor strike-rates".
Marsh was delighted with the sort of performance his teammates were able to produce against Sri Lanka, getting that crucial win to keep their World Cup semi-final hopes alive.
"It was a really good day for us. We came into the game with a little bit of pressure after the slow start, but our experienced guys stood up today. We're away. I wouldn't say soul-searching but there was plenty of hurt [after the loss to South Africa]. Hopefully, that's a stepping stone for us in the right direction. Just making up for his [dad's] strike rate. I felt like I was batting well tonight and I probably got ahead of myself (on the run-out).
"The boys were calm and the way we finished it off was great. I actually went for one over, but I was shut down. We have a heap of options - three quicks, Zampa, Maxwell, Stoin and myself. He [Cummins] always has a calm demeanor. The way he bowled and his bowling changes were fantastic. Inglis is a fighter and loves a contest. He plays spin well and backs his skills. First of all, he has power and hopefully it's the start of a long career for him," Marsh said after the game.