Beau Webster set to make debut in Sydney as Mitchell Marsh is dropped

Australia has made a significant change for the final Test against India in Sydney by leaving out all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. Captain Pat Cummins has announced that Tasmanian Beau Webster will be making his Test debut in his place.

Marsh's place in the side was under the microscope after a lean series with both bat and ball. He has scored just 73 runs at 10.42, with 47 of those coming in the second innings in Perth when the game was long gone and the ball he has bowled just 33 overs across seven innings in the series (discounting the brief second innings in Brisbane), and since claiming 2 for 12 in the first innings of the series he has figures of 1 for 127 from his last 28 overs.

Webster has been the form allrounder in the Sheffield Shield in recent seasons. He was the highest scorer in the Shield last season with 938 runs at 58.62 and took 30 wickets at 29.30. Sir Garfield Sobers, in 1963-64, is the only other player in Shield history to score more than 900 runs and take more than 30 wickets in the same season. In four games this season he has scored 303 runs at 50.50, including a century and a half-century, and has taken nine wickets at 37.88 in 96.5 overs across four matches.

"Mitchy, obviously hasn't quite got the runs, or perhaps the wickets that he would have liked this series," Cummins said on Thursday at his pre-Test press conference. "So we felt like it was time for a freshen and up, and Beau's been with the squad. He's been great. So it's a shame for Mitchy, because we know how much he brings to the team, but feel like now it's a good week for Beau to get a chance."

Marsh's popularity within the team, and his close personal friendship with Cummins would not have made the decision easy for the captain or the selectors. But Cummins said Marsh was not surprised at all by the decision and very accepting of it.

"He was totally understanding," Cummins said. "I think his words were, yeah, not necessarily blindsided. He knows he hasn't scored the runs or taken the wickets that he would have liked. So that makes you vulnerable. Really excited for Beau. The first thing he said, I can't wait to see Beau go out there and give it a crack.

"I think, particularly here in Australia, I think when a batter misses out or gets dropped, it's always seen as a big thing, but it's not the case. The way that Ronnie [Andrew McDonald} and the selectors and myself look at it is, we love pulling a squad of players together who we think we can call on at different times. And we thought the time was right for Mitchy to have a freshen up and and miss this one. But it doesn't mean that he won't be back in that team at some point."

More to come