But Marsh, son of former test batsmen Geoff Marsh, never looked troubled as he followed up his 76 from the first game with another half-century that featured nine fours and a six.
Dennis Lillee's dismissal of Peter Willey saw him pass Hugh Trumble's Ashes record of 141 dismissals, and at 135-7 it looked as if England had lost the Test - and Lillee and Rod Marsh their money.