Rod Marsh: Spirit of hard as nails Australian cricket

 
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Rod Marsh, born November 4, 1947, was in many ways the spirit of Australian cricket, who ended with 355 dismissals, 95 of them off the bowling of Dennis Lillee.Arunabha Sengupta pays tribute to the legendary Australian wicket-keeper.

Greg Chappell observed that Rod Marsh was one of the two men who could kill to get into the Australian cricket team, the other being Ian Redpath. Marsh was, in many ways, the spirit of Australian cricket of his times, as he crouched behind the stumps or took guard in front of it — a combination of competitiveness, skill, hard work and facial hair.

Along with Dennis Lillee and Greg Chappell, he formed the trio that guided the fortunes of Australian cricket for a decade and a bit, from the early 1970s till 1984. And then, suddenly all three decided to call it a day in unison, leaving the cricketing nation to go through a long rebuilding phase.

Lillee running in to bowl, breathing fire, shirt unbuttoned to the chest, the gold crucifix oscillating in wild arcs. Marsh’s thick-set, apparently un-athletic form crouched behind the stumps, watching with keen eyes, the nose above the thick moustache seeming to sniff for the faintest of nicks. And Greg Chappell standing patiently at first slip, his shirts impeccably buttoned to the sleeves, capable of moving like an elegant streak of lightning when called upon to catch a blinder.

This is the sight that greeted opposition batsmen and spectators again and again when the ‘Ugly Australians’ were in action.

With Lillee, Marsh had a connection that was almost psychic. Caught Marsh bowled Lillee is a part of folklore, it appeared on the scoreboard 95 times in Test matches, and became part of the lyrics when songs were composed about their heroics.

Incredibly, Marsh finished with the then world record tally of 355 dismissals, the same number that we find under the wickets column of Dennis Lillee.

“Few partnerships between bowler and wicket-keeper have had so profound an impact on the game,” stated Wisden.

“I’ve played with him so much now that most of the time I know what he is going to do before he has bowled. I know from the way he runs up; the angle, the speed, where he hits the crease, where the ball is going to be,” Marsh said about his partnership with Lillee.

It was this acute sense, this fantastic ability to read the game that made many voices proclaim Marsh as the best captain never to have led Australia.

Rod Marsh breaks the then world record for Test catches to dismiss Ian Botham off Dennis Lillee in the 1980 Headingley Test. The c Marsh b Lillee pattern found its way 95 times in Test scorecard © Getty Images

Iron Gloves

Despite his bulk, Marsh was remarkably fleet-footed, and blessed with uncanny anticipation and reflexes. His acrobatic diving, raucous appeals and habit of throwing a ball high into the air on dismissals soon characterised and endeared him to the cricket lovers, and ranked him as the best in the world, perhaps alongside Alan Knott.

Additionally, he was a consummate team-man, who egged his mates to superior performances, virtually led the team from behind the stumps with his keen insights, and did not even flinch when Bill Lawry declared the innings with Marsh, in his first Test series, 8 short of becoming the first Australia wicketkeeper ever to get a Test century.

It is hard to believe now that the nickname, “Iron Gloves”, was the media’s way of dubbing his sloppy wicket-keeping when he came into the Australian side. It was a sobriquet earned for an indifferent series behind the stumps against England, having been chosen as the stumper ahead of the popular Brian Taber. He conceded 44 byes in that 1970-71 series and it was claimed that he had made the cut because of his batting.

As years wore on, he elevated his standard to the levels of the all-time great men to have kept for Australia. Yet, he kept the nickname as well, which now fit him as snugly as his own keeping gloves, as a tribute to his stupendous work behind the stumps.

The first Australian wicketkeeper to score a Test hundred, Rod Marsh is forever remembered for that superb match-winning 110 not out in the Centenary Test against England at Melbourne in 1977 © Getty Images

During the first half of his career, he was a major force down the order with his left-handed batting as well; hard hitting, always a difficult customer to dislodge after all the hard work had been done to get rid of the top order. In the first fifty or so Tests, he used to average in the decent thirties, till the figures plummeted as his batting lost its keenness towards the late seventies.

As mentioned earlier, when Lawry declared with Marsh on 92, he equalled Don Tallon for the highest score posted by an Australian wicket-keeper. When questioned by the press about Lawry’s decision, Marsh observed that he had gained about 40 runs rather than losing 8, because the captain could have declared an hour or so earlier.

Against Pakistan at Adelaide in 1972-73, Marsh scored 118, thus becoming the first wicket-keeper to score a century for Australia.

However, he will be forever remembered for that superb match-winning 110 not out in the Centenary Test against England at Melbourne in 1977.

His aggressive batting was also useful in One-Day cricket, and once he plundered 26 from the final New Zealand over in 1980-81 with 3 sixes and two fours.

A noted captain for Western Australia, he was the trusted advisor of Greg Chappell, and later did not really relish playing under the leadership of Kim Hughes. The tales of conflict of Lillee, Marsh and Chappell against the young Hughes are legendary.

Marsh hung up his bat, boot and gloves in 1984, having scored 3633 runs at 26.51 to go with his 355 dismissals.

Ian Healy and Adam Gilchrist have since become legends, and deservedly so. Both have scripted their names as enduring characters in the history of the game. They also proved themselves while keeping to Shane Warne, whereas Marsh mainly revelled in standing far back to fly and capture the snicks induced by the superb pace-men. He had just 12 stumpings to show for all his 96 Tests.

Yet, for many, Marsh still remains the best wicketkeeper ever to have played for Australia. Certainly one of the most colourful characters.