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Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Atherton Stunned by Mitchell Marsh's Phenomenal Century at Headingley

image-ljs3vkj8Mitchell Marsh scored a sensational century at Headingley | Source: Twitter 

Former cricketers-turned-commentators Kumar Sangakkara and Michael Atherton showered praise on Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh for his breathtaking century knock on Day 1 of the Headingley Test match.

Marsh emerged as Australia's saviour amidst a top-order collapse against the fiery pace of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes. Marsh's brilliant counter-attacking innings saw Australia propel from 85/4 to a commanding 240/5 in 53 overs. 

Notably, Marsh has returned to Test cricket after almost four years due to injuries and the rise of Cameron Green in recent times. The tall all-rounder sustained a hamstring injury on the morning of Day 1 and was sidelined from the game.  

Speaking about Marsh's run-a-ball 118 Sangakkara pointed out that England fell into the trap by consistently bowling short deliveries to him, which allowed him to unleash a flurry of boundaries and take control of the game during the second session.

Here’s what Kumar Sangakkara said on Sky Sports:

“Possibly a game-changing moment. It probably helped Marsh that England went short to start with. That is his real strength, hitting the pull shot. He has great power. It was a great lesson for Green on how you impose yourself if your game is about power.”

Marsh's 118-run knock was adorned with 17 boundaries and four sixes. Michael Atherton was also left in awe of the Australian all-rounder's performance, stating that nobody expected him to play such an innings. 

Here's what Michael Atherton said:

"It was a special innings and a surprising one as we didn’t expect him to play! There was no inkling Green had a hamstring strain yesterday. That probably helped Marsh. He played like it was a bit of a free hit. He was going to go for it and boy he went for it!"

Thanks to Mitchell Marsh's century, Australia reached a total of 263 runs before being bundled out in 60.4 overs in the first innings. Mark Wood wreaked havoc for England, taking a five-wicket haul, while Chris Woakes claimed three wickets. At the conclusion of the first day's play, Australia holds a 200-run lead over England.