Injury worries over Mitchell Marsh and Starc

Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Marsh were both under injury clouds as Australia got down to training at Newlands in Cape Town in the lead-up to the third Test against South Africa, starting on Thursday with honours even at 1-1 after two of the four Tests.

Starc was said to be suffering from a sore calf, while Marsh has a groin strain.

Both players have made important contributions in the two Tests so far, Starc picking up nine wickets in Australia’s five-wicket win in the first Test in Durban, while Marsh scored 96 in the first innings in the Durban Test and 45 in the second innings in the Port Elizabeth Test and has also picked up three wickets in the two games.

Starc didn’t bowl during training on Monday, while Marsh was involved in the training routines only sporadically.

On Marsh, opening batsman Cameron Bancroft said, “He has had four really important days off, as it has been for everyone. Especially our fast bowlers, who have spent a lot of time bowling over the last six months.

“Mitch has been working through his stuff. He had a bowl. I assume he'll hopefully pick that (speed) up leading up to the game on Thursday. I'm sure he'll be fine.”

Apart from Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, Australia’s first-choice pacers alongside Starc, the squad has pace options in Chadd Sayers and Jhye Richardson. But Bancroft doesn’t expect Starc to miss out at Newlands.

“Sometimes the bowlers just work their way into the games a little bit differently, his preparation might be a little bit different going into this game,” said Bancroft. “I think in the past, he's bowled a couple of days out and had that third day as a bit of a rest day. I'm sure he'll be ok.

“(The other pacers) bowled really well, they're first-class campaigners and the beauty of being part of this team is you get opportunities to face in the nets a lot some of the best bowlers in the world and we have them.”