Before long those critics were left eating their words and the Australian's haul of 148 victims behind the stumps remains an Ashes record.

More than a quarter of his wickets came in combination with Dennis Lillee, the most productive wicketkeeper/bowler combination in Test cricket.

Marsh became an Australian legend in the 1970s, taking Don Tallon's aggressive and combative style behind the stumps to a new level.

He remained at the top of his game for 14 years, breaking Ashes records galore in his final series in 1982/83.

In his best return in a home series, his 28 catches, including six in one innings at Brisbane and nine in the match, were all Ashes records.

Although Marsh's batting form tailed off with age, he finished his career with a better Ashes record than both Tallon and Les Ames after a solid start to his career.