Mitch Marsh and Mitch Starc remain injury concerns for Australia ahead of the fifth and final test at The Oval, with bowling all-rounder Michael Neser waiting in the wings for a highly-anticipated call-up.
Looking for their first Ashes victory on enemy territory in 22 years, the Australians may be without Marsh, who pulled up sore on day two of the drawn test at Old Trafford, not bowling a single over on day three.
“He’s a little bit sore, hence why he was off the field. I’m not going to hide that. As to what extent, that will be assessed over the next couple of days,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said.
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There are worrying signs for fast bowler Starc, who is yet to miss a Test in England this summer, but McDonald is adamant he’ll be ready by Thursday.
“Two separate incidents where he dived and landed on the point of his shoulder,” McDonald said.
“So I think he stirred up his AC joint – don’t quote me on that I’m not a medical person – and then the other one he slipped down on the rope and sort of extended the shoulder joint.
“He’s looking worse for wear and a little bit sore. All indications are that he’ll be right to go but that’ll be assessed.”
With signs pointing to the selection of Neser, who hasn’t played for Australia since December against the West Indies, the coach kept his final decision under wraps.
“Everyone’s on the table, every selection,” McDonald said.
”And Michael (Neser) knows that … he was a serious consideration here and he was under consideration at Leeds also, so you’re always sort of balancing those who are up and running in the series versus freshness.”
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But Australian cricketing legend Ian Chappell fears the selectors may make the same mistakes they did when selecting the Old Trafford team.
“I think they went into the fourth test in a bit of a ‘let’s try and save the Test and we’ll win the Ashes’,” Chappell told Wide World of Sports.
“Just looking at those selections, I think there was a bit of negativity behind the thought process in picking the team.”
The fifth and final Test begins on Thursday at The Oval, where Australia will be pushing for its first Ashes series win on English soil since 2001.
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