St. Vincent: Australia's hopes in the T20 World Cup suffered a setback as they faced a tough defeat against Afghanistan, just a day before they meet India in a match which now turns out to be for survival in the tournament.
Looking ahead to the must-win game against India, Marsh highlighted the team's belief and determination. He acknowledged the challenge but expressed confidence that the team would bounce back strongly. "We have a lot of belief in our group. We are a very good cricket team. Yes, tonight we had an off night but I guess there's also a positive in the fact that in 36 hours we go again. It's a big game, it will be against India obviously and it's a must-win game,” Marsh said.
Addressing his post-match Press conference following the defeat against Afghanistan, Australian all-rounder and skipper Mitch Marsh acknowledged Afghanistan's strong performance.
"Afghanistan were really good and they outplayed us. They deserved to win that game." He emphasised the small margins in T20 cricket and credited Afghanistan for capitalising on their opportunities.
Reflecting on Australia's fielding, Marsh acknowledged that they had two off nights in the field in the tournament, including the game against Scotland. He expressed confidence in the team's fielding ability, stating, "At our best, we're an unbelievable fielding side."
Regarding the decision to leave out Mitchell Starc, Marsh explained that it was based on the team's strategy for the match. He praised Ashton Agar for his performance, noting that "everything pointed towards Ash tonight and I thought he did a brilliant job."
In response to a question about the pitch, Marsh said, "Nothing surprised us today. We knew what to expect with the wicket. I don't think it changed over the 40-over period. We knew what to expect, we didn't quite execute and that's no different to playing in any other conditions, I think."
He praised Afghanistan for their high energy and well-drilled performance, noting that they were a very good cricket side. He stressed on the need for Australia to trust themselves and bring their best game in the upcoming matches. The defeat against Afghanistan serves as a wake-up call for Australia, who will be looking to regroup and come back stronger on Saturday against India.
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