Young batsman seeks expert advice from one of Australia's great spinning adversaries
Marsh turns to unlikely mentor at Pune
It would have been unthinkable a decade ago, but allrounder Mitchell Marsh is being mentored by one of Australia's current spin-bowling arch-nemeses.
Marsh is working on playing spin on turning pitches with Rising Pune Supergiants teammate and ace India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin during this season's Indian Premier League.
The lessons the young Western Australian are learning will be invaluable when he heads to Sri Lanka as part of Australia's Test tour in July and before returning back to the subcontinent early next year for four Tests against India.
Quick Single: Vote in #ODIGOAT - Sangakkara v Dhoni
"I've spoken a lot to him (Ashwin) at training which is really good," Marsh told cricket.com.au.
"We play India a lot, so the more I can face him, the more I can watch the ball coming out of his hand and hopefully be able combat that when we play India.
"For me it's just trying to understand where he bowls it and why he bowls there.
"Not only to combat just his bowling, but (it's a lesson in dealing with) every other spinner out there and understanding what other spinners are trying to do when the ball is turning and the wickets are a little bit slower, which is something we're not used to (in Australia)."
Ashwin, 29, was Australia's chief destroyer on the horror Test tour of 2013.
The off-spinner claimed 29 wickets in four Tests, while his left-arm orthodox partner Ravindra Jadeja snared 24, to whitewash Australia 4-0.
While Australia have countered him comfortably on home soil, Ashwin was memorising three years ago in his own conditions, starting the series with 12 wickets in the eight-wicket thumping in Chennai.
He did not let up throughout the forgettable tour for the Australians, which saw four players suspended for not completing their homework, an injured Michael Clarke replaced by Shane Watson as captain, and Mickey Arthur coach his last Test series before being fired three months later.
Fortunately for Marsh, that was prior to the beginning of his international career, so instead of looking back, he's fine-tuning his game against spin across all formats, with a heavy focus on rotating the strike.
Quick Single: Downpours, dust-ups and Dizzy's double ton: Pt1
"I feel like I've got the power game to be able to hit boundaries but the best players in the world get off strike almost every ball, certainly in Twenty20 cricket," Marsh said.
"That's what I'm working on and keep learning off guys like both Ashwins (Ravi and fellow spinner Murugan)."
While he's getting tips off Ashwin from a bowling perspective, Marsh is working a little closer to home when it comes to his batting tutelage.
In a squad featuring master batsmen like MS Dhoni, Kevin Pietersen and Faf du Plessis, Marsh has turned to one of his countrymen, Australia skipper Steve Smith, for advice.
Smith is perhaps the best player of spin bowling in Australia – a free-flowing batsman who uses his feet and attacks early to set a tone of dominance – and one who has had success against India's spinners in the past.
"His (Smith's) last three years have been absolutely phenomenal," Marsh said. "He's one of the best players in the world.
"I've got him on the flicker (also known as a 'wanger', the modified tennis ball thrower) at the moment – he's my coach.
"He's been great, we're always having conversations (about batting).
"It's all about watching how they (Smith and the international players) train, watching what they do and watching what they do in-game because that's where it counts, under pressure."
Quick Single: IPL to determine Johnson's future
Such a melting pot of global talent did not exist 10 years ago, prior to the launch of the lucrative IPL in 2008.
An IPL squad can include up to 10 foreign players but only four may feature in the starting XI.
Marsh, who was sold to Pune for $1 million at the IPL auction in February, is relishing the opportunity to mix with some of the game's modern greats for the first time in three seasons.
"That's the one thing that's great about world cricket these days – there's so many T20 competitions that international players play with each other all around the world," he said.
"You get to understand people.
"Your thoughts of them on the field aren't necessarily what they're like off the field.
"We've got a great relationship going with all the boys and we've got a lot of international players within our side and we're all gelling together beautifully."