"He can be the Delhi Capitals' game-changer" - Aakash Chopra on Mitchell Marsh's explosive knock in 3rd IND vs AUS ODI

Aakash Chopra reckons Mitchell Marsh could be the Delhi Capitals' game-changer in IPL 2023 if he continues with the blistering form he showed in the ODI series between India and Australia.

Australia beat India by 21 runs in the third and final ODI in Chennai on Wednesday (March 22) to win the three-match series 2-1. Marsh was deservedly chosen as the Player of the Series for smashing 194 runs at an excellent strike rate of 131.08 on slightly bowler-friendly surfaces.

Reflecting on Australia's innings in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra lauded Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head for giving the visitors a flying start, elaborating:

"Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head once again started as though they had some personal enmity. Mitchell Marsh is batting at a different level. He can be the Delhi Capitals' game-changer if he keeps going like this. He will get much better pitches than this and the Kotla ground is also tiny."

Chopra praised Hardik Pandya for bringing India back into the game, observing:

"Then the three wickets come from an absolutely unfamiliar quarter because you wouldn't think Hardik Pandya will dismiss the top three when the pitch has help for the spinners. He first dismissed Travis Head, then Steve Smith for the second time in this series, and then Mitchell Marsh as well."

Hardik broke the 68-run opening-wicket partnership by having Head caught at third man by Kuldeep Yadav. He then had Steve Smith caught behind by KL Rahul for a duck before getting Marsh to inside-edge a ball onto his stumps to reduce Australia to 85/3.

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"It happens very rarely" - Aakash Chopra on none of the Australian batters scoring a fifty in a 269-run total

Mitchell Marsh fell three short of a half-century. [P/C: BCCI]

Aakash Chopra expressed surprise about none of the Australian batters reaching the half-century mark, stating:

"One more interesting thing was that no one scored a fifty. Everyone got a start, Mitchell Marsh came close, but no one scored a fifty. It happens very rarely that you reach close to 270 and still there is not even one half-century in your team."

Chopra concluded by highlighting that Kuldeep Yadav is marching ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal in the race for the wrist-spinner's spot with his wicket-taking exploits, saying:

"One more surprising thing was that Ravindra Jadeja did not pick up a wicket. Kuldeep Yadav came and picked up three wickets. He is pushing Yuzi slightly backwards. Yuzi is a gun bowler but whenever you are giving Kuldeep a chance to bowl 10 overs, he picks up wickets, not one or two but three."

Hardik (3/44) and Kuldeep (3/56) were India's most successful bowlers. Mohammed Siraj (2/37) and Axar Patel (2/57) were the other wicket-takers for the Men in Blue.