Australia's Mitchell Marsh a doubt for Ashes with shoulder injury

By Reuters

Monday 13 March 2017 11:06, UK

Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh is set to be sidelined for up to nine months with a shoulder injury that likely rules him out of the Ashes later this year.

Local media reported on Monday that Marsh requires reconstructive surgery on the injury that has plagued him throughout Australia's home summer and ruled him out of their remaining two tests in India last week.

During the first two tests of the series, Marsh scored only 48 runs in four innings, bowling just five overs.

The Western Australian newspaper said surgery was "vital" if Marsh was ever to bowl at full pace again, and that it effectively rules the 25-year-old out of contention for the home Ashes series, which starts in Brisbane in late November.

Marsh was hailed as the solution to Australia's lack of a quality all-rounder when he made his Test debut in late 2014, though he has since been criticised for his contributions in the longer format.

During his 21 Test appearances so far, Marsh averages 21.74 with the bat - scoring two fifties - and 37.48 with the ball, returning best figures of 4-61.

He played three Tests during Australia's 3-2 Ashes defeat in England in 2015, contributing only 48 runs over his five innings' but fared far better with the ball, taking eight wickets at an average of 18.62.