Marshall - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

The West Indies coach has defended the selection of Jamaican opening batsman Xavier Marshall, who silenced critics of his controversial selection with an attractive half-century against Australia in the second Digicel Test last Saturday.

The 22-year-old possesses an overall first-class average of just 25 from 17 matches, over five seasons, but Dyson said these statistics were somewhat misleading.

"This is one of the strange places. First-class records over here ... if you look at a first-class record in Australia, you've got an idea that a guy has played 10 matches per season against good quality opposition," Dyson said following Marshall's stroke-filled 53 on the second day of the Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.

"Over here, they don't play very many matches. You are lucky to play four and then in the 50-over comp (competition), you've only got another three, so you haven't got a lot to compare on.

"And then places on the sub-continent, you've got first-class statistics that wouldn't stack up in third grade in Sydney, so statistics don't always tell the story."

Marshall, opening the batting with Devon Smith, set the tone for his innings with two glorious, consecutive cover drives off left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson, to get off the mark.

He then produced perhaps the shot of the day when he exquisitely stroked speedster Brett Lee to the extra cover boundary, ending on bended knee. Overall, he struck eight fours and faced just 68 balls before being lbw to spinner Michael Clarke, offering no stroke to a straight delivery.

Good batting

"I thought he batted very well. I was disappointed that he got out in such a way and I think he is as well," Dyson said.

"The little innings that he played, he batted very positively, his technique was very, very sound, and he played some very attractive shots."

Dyson said the right-hander's recall was also based on numerous glowing reviews of the player's development since he made his unflattering debut three years ago against Sri Lanka.

Promising player

"Well, he's had a lot of people say that he is a very, very promising, exciting young player. There has been any number of those who offered that advice," Dyson explained.

"They are also impressed by his maturity in the last couple of years. They felt that when he made his debut, he wasn't mature enough to handle it and they think he has matured over the last couple of years.

"They thought that time was possibly right, depending on how circumstances fell, for him to get another opportunity.

"Don't forget, Chattergoon, who probably would have been opening the batting, has been injured and probably Chris Gayle would have opened the batting as well, but he's been injured so Xavier has just accepted this opportunity with both hands."