‘Shatak zaruri nahi hai’ – Fans react as Mitchell Marsh falls 4 runs short of well deserved hundred against Pakistan at MCG

Mitchell Marsh had a heartbreaking end to his great knock at the MCG in the second innings of the second Test against Pakistan at MCG. The visiting side was on fire in the second innings when Marsh walked into bat. Australia was in all sorts of trouble at 16/4 with a lead of just 61 runs on the board having lost 4 world-class batters in the process.

Shaheen Afridi and Mir Hamza were on fire in their opening spells as both of them claimed a couple of wickets each. Australia was left with Steve Smith, Marsh, and Alex Carey as the genuine batters left in the hut. Australia needed a partnership that could stabilize things. Marsh and Smith provided exactly that. Smith dropped anchor and Marsh did the attacking job in the middle.

The duo successfully revived the innings of Australia and saved the home side from a difficult situation. Marsh played a terrific knock in the middle without worrying much about the consequences. The right-handed batter hit some exquisite drives and took the attack on the opposition. Marsh attacked the best bowler of Pakistan, Shaheen, and made a statement in the middle.

Heartbreaking end to Mitchell Marsh’s knock

In his stay in the middle, Marsh scored 96 runs in 130 balls which included 13 fours. The aggressive knock of Marsh brought Australia back into the game. The home side now have their advantage back in the game. Marsh played some good pull shots. But the highlight of his knock was the cut shots he played against the pacers of Pakistan, who seemed to have no answers to the assault.

Marsh was cheered by the crowd for his knock. Just when he was about to reach the 3-figure mark, he was dismissed by Mir Hamza. It was the second heartbreak for Marsh in the series. In the first Test, Marsh was dismissed for 90 runs on home ground at Perth. This time around, Marsh suffered a heartbreaking end in front of his family, who had gathered to watch him play.

Here’s how the fans reacted to the knock of Mitchell Marsh: