Mitchell Marsh's injury setback could yet inadvertently help him enjoy greater preparation for next month's Test tour of India.
The Australian all-rounder has been ruled out of the remaining three one-day internationals against Pakistan because of a troublesome right shoulder injury, and has been replaced by Marcus Stoinis.
Mitchell Marsh is working to overcome a right shoulder injury.Credit:Getty Images
The Victorian all-rounder will line up for the Melbourne Stars in Tuesday night's Big Bash League clash against the Brisbane Heat at the MCG, and will join teammate Adam Zampa in flying to Perth on Wednesday ahead of the third one-day international.
Stoinis, 27, has played only one 50-overs match for his country, against England at Leeds in 2015 when he made four and took 0-17 off four overs. He has also represented Australia in one Twenty20 international.
His elevation comes as Marsh begins to rehabilitate his injury. Had he been fit, he almost certainly would also have been selected to play in the three-match Chappell-Hadlee one-day series in New Zealand, beginning on January 30.
That would have excluded him from participating fully at a pre-India training program in Dubai, where the Australians will look to acclimatise to the turning decks they will experience in the four-Test series against Virat Kohli's dominant side.
Those players in New Zealand who will also tour India will miss out on several days of training in Dubai, but will arrive in time for an intra-squad clash.
Marsh's best preparation for India would be to have maximum time in the United Arab Emirates, where, should his injury not rule him out of the series, he would be able to work on his batting, even if he is on light bowling duties.
He has been selected in the 16-man squad as a bowling all-rounder, for the tourists will need strong help for Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood in tough conditions where frontline spinners Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe will almost certainly play all Tests.
His poor batting led to his axing from the Test side after the loss to South Africa in Perth this summer. He averages 23.18 after 19 Tests, with only two half-centuries, having been given the chance to secure the No.6 spot.
The bigger picture for the Australians is to have him fit for the first Test in Pune, beginning on February 23.
Skipper Steve Smith said it was important Marsh had time to recover.
"He's got an ongoing issue with his shoulder and we're giving him some time off to get that right," he said.
"He could be a very key player for us in India and he hasn't been able to bowl the speeds he would like. We know how important air-speed is in India, especially with the ball reversing, so we need to be able to get that right."
It was a questionable decision by Australia to have him bat at No.4 in the six-wicket loss to Pakistan at the MCG on Sunday, and he was dismissed for a golden duck.
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor said Marsh was unsuited to a top-order role.
"He's not a technically sound batsman to bat at the top of the order. I think Australia's idea to bat him at No.4 four is flawed at the moment until that technique improves," he said during Channel Nine's commentary.
Marsh's elevation in the order came because the Australians had picked only three specialist batsmen – Usman Khawaja and David Warner at the top of the order, and Smith at No.3 – after Chris Lynn was ruled out of the rest of the series with a neck injury.
Travis Head, who had opened in Brisbane, and Glenn Maxwell, who could have slotted in at No.4, were given roles in the middle order.
Victorian batsman Peter Handscomb, drafted into a squad that arrived in Perth on Monday ahead of Thursday's clash at the WACA Ground, is likely to be given a top-order role.
Jon Pierik is a sports writer with The Age, focusing primarily on AFL football, cricket and basketball. He has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.