By Andrew Wu
Uncertainty surrounds the immediate future of injured batsman Shaun Marsh, who finds himself in circumstances eerily similar to that which led to his "traumatic" run of outs five years ago.
Marsh will have x-rays later this week to find out when he can resume batting after undergoing surgery to repair a the finger he broke again last month.
The left-hander was always considered a longshot to play in the first Test against Pakistan, for which Australia named an unchanged squad, but there must now be doubts over his availability for the Boxing Day Test.
Provided he gets the all-clear from medical staff, Marsh will likely have just the one Big Bash League game – in Perth on December 23 – to prove his fitness to selectors for the second Test.
Shaun Marsh is likely to have just one Big Bash League game to prove his fitness for the second Test.Credit: Paul Kane
It's not the first time Marsh has found himself in such a position. In 2011, the West Australian missed a similar spell due to a back injury but was rushed back into the Test side for the series against India on the strength of an unbeaten 99 in the BBL. It proved a false dawn as Marsh made 17 runs in six innings before being dropped.
That's not to say history will repeat as Marsh is a wiser and much improved player, but there will also be an argument to write-off the Test summer and focus on the tour of India, where he would be one of the first picked if fit given his strong record on the subcontinent.
"Fingers crossed, pardon the pun. Hopefully he'll be batting soon, the specialist will be seeing him this week and hopefully that goes well and he starts batting again," national coach and selector Darren Lehmann said.
"He's only got BBL to play. If he plays that and gets through he'll be available for selection ... Usman Khawaja did it last year, he had a BBL game from a hamstring and that's all we had to go on. As long as they can get through then they're available."
Lehmann said Marsh's situation was one of fitness over form, which suggests he would come straight back in when available. That leaves opener Matt Renshaw and No.6 Nic Maddinson needing a big score to strengthen their position in the XI.
Lehmann endorsed Mitchell Marsh's view that the all-rounder was a better batsman when he played his shots. Marsh's coach at state and BBL level, Justin Langer, believes Marsh is capable of batting in the top four, which may not suit the Test discard's revised crash and bash method.
"I think he said yesterday he's got to play with a bit more freedom, and he certainly is a highly talented young player, and he's got to find his way," Lehmann said.
"You've got so many coaches and different views, a Scorchers view, a WACA view, Australia view, and different coaches around the place. For him he's got to work out what works for him, and my personal opinion is when he's playing shots he's a lot more dangerous."
While Lehmann did not rule out playing a four-pronged pace attack in the first Test, that seems improbable as spinner Nathan Lyon excels at the Gabba, where he claimed 24 wickets at 24 in five appearances.
It's more likely Jackson Bird and Chadd Sayers will duel for the final pace berth. Sayers strengthened his claims for a baggy green with eight wickets in the pink-ball round of the Sheffield Shield, though Bird performed well in the second innings in Adelaide and can consider himself unlucky if he was to be relegated to 12th man.